The Island
by Bree In Diamonds
Summary: On their way to a proposal in Japan, House and Cuddy's flight goes down in the Pacific. Being the only survivors, they drift to a deserted island miles away from the wreckage with nothing except one another to hold onto
1. The Proposal

**The Island**

**Rating - T (for now. M will follow)**

**Pairing - Huddy**

**Disclaimer - Does someone actually believe we need this? **

**Takes place more towards the end of season 3**

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"A speech? No way!" House was extra defiant when Cuddy dropped a proposal on his desk that was almost as thick as a dictionary. He picked it up and went to hand it back to her. "Remember what happened the last time I gave a speech?"

Cuddy shuddered at the memory. They were in Singapore and with House, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. He wouldn't even go with her to the other meetings; he would stay at the hotel room and rack up the bills with useless purchases and entertainment. Cuddy was almost sure he had a hooker over when she wasn't there.

"That won't be happening this time. If it does, I'll kill you, literally. This is a huge opportunity for the hospital to be extended in the pediatrics wing," she said, clenching her fists to emphasize her urgency for him to understand. Cuddy really wanted this, but House failed to see how he would help the cause.

"And I would benefit how?" he asked, not moved by the desperate look on her face.

"Because the application also includes a budget to expand diagnostics and allow you to hire a new fellow. However, that is only valid if I say so."

House drew his brows together. "So…if I agree to go with you to…wherever this is…you'll let me increase my department?"

Cuddy nodded quickly, only to be countered by House doing the opposite.

"I don't need a bigger department and I don't need another fellow if it involves having to be spending a week with you god knows where and giving a speech on something I don't care about." He handed her back the proposal with some fancy looking Japanese design and title on the cover. Cuddy was devastated. She reluctantly took the file back, face falling. House wasn't moved with the guilt look.

"If you're so concerned about making the trip by yourself, why don't you ask Foreman to go with you?" He swung his backpack strap over his shoulder, grabbed his cane, and limped around from the back of his desk, walking past Cuddy. "Or if he's too wild in bed, how about Cameron? I hear she sleeps in naughty lingerie. Maybe you two can share."

"Or…how about you go!" Cuddy pressed, following him closely at his heels.

"Sorry. I have a date tomorrow."

"The flight is in two days."

"I have a date that night, too."

"You don't have dates. You haven't had a date in years. It's a pretty big coincidence that you have one now all of a sudden."

House pushed the elevator button with his cane. "What can I say, the babes love me."

Cuddy slapped the proposal up to his chest, wearing her administrator look. "The babes will love you just as much in Japan. You're going with me. I don't care if you choose to expand your department or not, I'll find something else to invest the money in."

House frowned. "Then why do you want me to go if I don't want to increase my department? Since I have nothing to bribe me, and I don't have to be there, because I don't give a damn about pediatrics or the medicine this guy's peddling…"

"It's a favor to me."

Both of them stepped into the elevator. "Since when do I owe you anything?"

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "God, don't get me started on that. Just look through it when you get home. I know you don't care, but I trust you to give a speech that will influence the decision."

House chuckled, following a smirk. "Oh, Cuddy, you just don't want to be alone on the trip."

Her cheeks flushed when he wouldn't stop staring at her.

"And for some reason, you'd rather me go with you than anyone else." He put on some false charm and dramatically placed his hand over his chest. "I'm touched."

"Fine," Cuddy grumbled, taking the folder back. "I'll ask someone else. I only thought of you because of the opportunity to spread out your department."

"Even when I declined, you still wanted me. The answer is no. I can't even stand to be two feet beside you domestically, never mind halfway around the world."

"You've never complained before."

The elevator doors opened at the lobby and House walked out first. "Or so you think. By the way…" his eyes fell to her chest, "your shirt lost a button."

Cuddy dropped her head to look at the front of her shirt. She thought he was kidding to try to avert her attention away from him, but he was right. A broken off button had heavily revealed even more of her black _Victoria Secret_ gel bra. She sighed and buttoned up her sweater with the top button. It was unusual that House wasn't staring at it the whole time. She generally notices when he's drinking her in with his eyes. That was the first time he looked at her chest during their entire conversation and it came as quite a shock.

Cuddy had to wonder if he wasn't feeling well. In any case, she had to find someone else to go with her. Maybe she could bribe Wilson into getting an assistant or a bigger office on another part of the floor, away from House. Maybe that new lab in oncology that she never got, thanks to House, would be enough to get him to go. Wilson would make a better speech and not leave the audience in awe and Cuddy wanting to kill him. It would be worth it in the long run. Cuddy wouldn't have to deal with the added stress and pressures House came with.

She checked her watch. Wilson was in a board meeting for one of his patients at the moment. Cuddy suddenly grew hot. The transplant committee! Dammit! She had been so wrapped up in the proposal to extend pediatrics that she forgot about the meeting! Hoping the board wouldn't judge her based on how odd her shirt looked with a missing button, she hopped back onto the elevator and temporarily forgot about the proposal.

"Only ten minutes late," Cuddy told herself, hustling to the conference room.

But when she got there, the room was empty and the lights were out. A frown splashed across her face. Did they leave just because she was late?

"Fantastic," Cuddy muttered and pulled out her cell phone to call Wilson. There had to be another explanation other than her being late.

"Didn't you get my message?" Wilson asked as Cuddy took the stairs back down to her office so she wouldn't lose reception in the elevator.

"What message?"

"The meeting was canceled because my patient died an hour ago."

Cuddy sighed. "God, no I didn't get that. I haven't been to my office all day." She hated hearing news that patients died. It always brought her mood down several notches, no matter what sort of frame of mind she was in at the time. "How?"

"She was misdiagnosed and had a brain tumor attached to the motor cortex. When we planned to do surgery to remove it, we knew it was going to be risky. Depending on how big the tumor was."

"Wait, you did surgery on her?" Cuddy asked, puzzled that she didn't know about it.

"No, I said we planned to, but she died suddenly. She seized and…that was it." Wilson's voice got incredibly low after that.

"I'm sorry," Cuddy said.

"If it was her heart, like I originally thought, I would've caught it sooner and with any luck from the transplant committee, she would've been able to be put on the list for a heart."

"Don't beat yourself up over it." More importantly, Cuddy hated it when Wilson started doing that and feeling sorry for himself.

Wilson said nothing after that. Cuddy almost thought that he had hung up, but the distant activity in the background told her that he didn't.

"Do you want to get some coffee or something?" she asked.

"I'm already in the cafeteria."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. While putting the phone away, Cuddy suddenly remembered the extra weight tucked under her arm. It was the proposal. It might not be a good time to talk to Wilson about it, but her time was running short. She completely banked on House going with her, so she didn't worry about it too early on. Of course, she should've known he was going to be a stubborn jerk about it.

Cuddy admitted she didn't want to make this trip alone. If anyone was going halfway around the world, they would want someone with them. It's only natural. All be damned if she knew why she picked House to go with her. He would only make her life miserable and probably even start a food fight at the conference because some random guy was staring at her ass longer than he should be. And then, of course, the guy will be the major benefactor in the proposition and cancel the agreement because of House.

Yeah, it's better he didn't go.

Cuddy found Wilson in a corner booth, slouched over and staring into a cup of coffee.

"Go in any further and you're going to need a snorkel," Cuddy joked lightly and then placed her hand over his shoulder. "You okay?"

She took a seat at the opposite side and placed the proposition in front of her.

Wilson didn't make eye contact. He just nodded. "In an hour or so I'll feel better. What's that?"

Cuddy rested both hands on top of the folder and looked hopeful. "This…is something I hope to talk to you about. But it doesn't have to be now if you're not up to talking," she said immediately.

Wilson frowned lightly. He would've thought it was something serious if she didn't look so anxious to tell him.

"No, it's okay. What is it?"

"You remember how I've wanted to expand the pediatrics wing for about a year, right?"

Wilson nodded.

"Well…there's this new benefactor in Japan that sells upbeat children's medicine around the world, real fancy stuff, and I told him about how the pediatrics wing was practically falling apart and needed to be repaired and…bigger. When I told him I didn't know if I could ever find it in the budget, he offers me the money if we agreed to promote his product at the hospital, just like that," she said, tossing her hands up. "Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars he's practically handing me if I can go to Japan and knock his socks off."

"Make sure that's all he wants you to do," Wilson said.

Cuddy's smile was wiped from her face. "What do you mean?"

Wilson scoffed. "Come on, Cuddy, you're smarter than that. No guy is going to give you that much money and expect only a marketing of his product in return. You should know that by now. Look at Vogler."

It was Cuddy's turn to scoff. "He came with strings the second he stepped through the door."

"But that's my point. He wanted something. He wanted to be chairman of the board and fire anyone he couldn't control. You don't even know this new benefactor, do you? For all you know, he could have a criminal record."

Cuddy glanced dumbly at him. "Give me a break. He wouldn't be this famous if he had a record. His reputation would be worth nothing. And he's Japanese."

"So? That gives him a reason to be perfect?"

"It means he's smart! I trust him."

"Just because he's Japanese—"

"Drop it," Cuddy interrupted. "I didn't come down here to argue with you, I came to ask if you wanted to come with me. Plane leaves in two days and it's for a week." Cuddy sat back into the booth with a defeated sigh.

Instead of his mouth dropping or his eyes popping out of his head with that request, he nodded. "I think it would be best if you had someone with you." He picked up his coffee cup and closed the newspaper he never got around to looking at.

Cuddy smiled. That was easy!

"…Except I can't go."

Her smile faded. "What? Why?" She sounded disappointed.

"Oncology conference next Tuesday, booked way in advance."

Cuddy went back to feeling down again. Damn her for not doing something about this earlier! "Can't you cancel it?"

Wilson shook his head and apologized. "Ask House."

Cuddy laughed at that. "Tried already. He didn't budge."

"Then what about Foreman or Cameron?" Wilson tried. "Or…Chase even."

"House wouldn't let them go, and with Cameron, we'd probably kill each other by the time we reached the pacific time zone."

"No you wouldn't."

"Wanna bet on that? She can't stand me. She's as bad as House with walking the opposite way when I come down the hall. No matter who I ask, they'd all say no and make up an excuse."

Wilson sighed and stood, taking his coffee and newspaper with him. "I'll talk to House. I don't want you going there alone. He's better than nothing, I guess, but ask around anyway. You never know."

Wilson was good at convincing House to do anything. She didn't want him to go, for all the reasons listed above, but did want him in the way that he would provide companionship and be there to protect her if need be. House may be a jerk, but when it comes to Lisa Cuddy, her life is guaranteed saved when he's around.

Cuddy thanked Wilson and he left. Cuddy checked her watch after drumming her fingertips gently on the surface of the table. It was going on four o'clock. Since she really didn't have anything else to be done today, she intended to leave early after going through every person in diagnostics, asking them to accompany her on the trip. She had asked Foreman first when she saw him passing through the hall, looking at a chart. He was nice about it and apologized when he declined. He didn't give her a reason, other than he was busy. Cuddy was hesitant to ask Chase and was a little relieved when he declined. He said he had a date. They both knew it was a lie.

Cuddy wasn't going to ask Cameron, but as a last resort, she was as good as any.

"You're kidding, right?" Cameron asked, lowering her glasses to the bridge of her nose and raising her eyes up at Cuddy. She was going over some charts in the office when Cuddy walked in. "You want me to go with you to Japan?"

It was a dumb request and Cuddy immediately apologized.

"Wow…you really don't want to go alone. Sorry, high altitudes make me nauseous. Ask House. He'll do anything for you."

Cuddy left after that. The tension was so thick in the room and only a few sentences were said. She kicked herself mentally for asking Cameron. She kicked herself for practically begging everyone to go with her. Was she really that scared to travel alone? The fact that her first choice was House made that conclusion viable. He's better than nothing. She hoped Wilson could talk him into it.

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Wilson convinced House to go. He had to put in a little effort to do so and wasted about two hours shifting around pros and cons. One of House's pros, of course, was the ability to see Cuddy's ass sway multiple times a day as opposed to only a handful of times a the hospital, as well as the luxury of getting more opportunities to look down her shirt. Wilson didn't care what his reasons were, as long as he was going. Cuddy thanked Wilson the next chance she got. However, Cuddy knew it was all going downhill the moment House was late getting to the airport. They took separate rides there. She was waiting for him by the terminal for well over an hour and was on her third cup of coffee. She kept glancing down at her watch. The flight was in an hour and they still needed to go through security and register their bags! Good thing she already had tickets. They would be late for sure if she didn't!

Cuddy ignored the medium flow of traffic as passengers walked by the bench she was on as she tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. That also caused a few stares. At one point, three additional people sat on the bench and had no room to move. Personal space was an issue with Cuddy. Rubbing shoulders with a stranger wasn't going to make that smile appear on her face any time soon. Luckily they were only there for about five minutes. After they left, she tried calling House's cell again once she could move. Like before, she got no answer.

She angrily flipped her phone shut again and squeezed it into her fist. A recording of a voice came over the loudspeaker again, saying the same speech over and over every time, something about the Department of Homeland Security and if she had to hear that one more time, the loudspeaker was going to be ripped from the wall.

She was so stressed that her hair was getting frizzy. Once upon a time, it was very thick and curly. Even though as she got older, it thinned out tremendously, but would occasionally become frizzy if she was stressed, even with hairspray on.

Airport shuttles were coming down the strip left and right, letting off handfuls of passengers, but House was never one of them. She cussed under her breath and flipped her phone back open to call Wilson when a loud voice at the side of her made her flinch.

"There you are! Why are you sitting around when we have a plane to catch?!"

Cuddy grumbled something under her breath as House so casually stood there, backpack strap swung over his shoulder, cane in hand, black sunglasses on his face, and a yellow Hawaiian button-up shirt with yellow shorts. Cuddy stood up quickly. "I was waiting here for over an hour!" she yelled, but then stopped dead at his outfit. "What…are you wearing?"

House looked himself over. "I found it in my closet yesterday. What? You don't like it?"

Despite him making her wait and stressing her out before her day even started, she had to laugh at how serious he sounded. It's as if he actually liked what he wore.

"Absolutely not," she said, stifling another laugh by putting her hand to her mouth. "You look awful. I'm not sitting next to you on the plane."

House's face fell serious. "Well thanks a lot. No sex for you on this honeymoon."

Cuddy grabbed the handle to her rolling suitcase and took the lead into the airport. "It's definitely not a honeymoon and you're sleeping on the couch."

"You couldn't get two rooms? Or at least a room with two double beds?" House was whining…not one of his best features. "You know I can't sleep on a couch with my leg."

"And I can't sleep with undergarments on, but with you in the room, I'm definitely giving it a shot," Cuddy said, sliding her suitcase through the machine and meeting eye to eye with a frowning security woman. Cuddy took a claim ticket and left her suitcase in the hands of the baggage handlers to be put into storage on the plane. Even House had a small suitcase, which surprised Cuddy. He kept his backpack and she kept her purse and briefcase.

"Oh don't change your nightly regimen just because I'm there!" House said, walking beside her. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you too much!"

"It's definitely no bother, trust me."

He eyed her up and down as they walked. "You know, Dr. Cuddy, you are looking exceptionally lovely in that outfit," he said, complimenting her on her white button-up formal shirt with a collar and black wide-legged dress pants. "That spaghetti-strapped top you have on reveals too much though," he added, not missing a chance to look down her shirt.

"Thank you, wardrobe police. Evaluate what you have on your own body before picking on mine."

Cuddy groaned when there was a longer line than normal. Although today being a holiday didn't help much. She checked her watch again. They only had a little over a half hour to get to the plane and judging by this line, they would barely make it, if at all.

"This is great," she muttered. The lines were at least a mile long and there were only two security scanners open. Every passenger appeared to be stopped for one reason or another, holding up the lines even more.

House's eyes suddenly went wide as he looked out in front of him. Cuddy's eyes followed his in question.

"Hijack!" he yelled very loudly over the crowd.

"House!" Cuddy hissed as everyone that had ears turned their heads to him with questionable frowns. Some looked shocked and horrified.

"What? I see my friend Jack!" House told everyone, holding his hand out. "Just letting him know where I am!"

That's not what he meant and Cuddy knew that. He didn't have a friend named Jack! Some passengers believed him, but the ones more up along the front of the line expressed their worries to security that House might be a terrorist. Suddenly, two security personnel were walking up to them. Cuddy slapped her hand over her face. Terrific! Now they were going to miss their flight because House is an even bigger idiot than she thought.

"I'm going to need you to come with me, sir," a burly older man said. Judging by his face, it's a man no one wanted to mess with. A woman who looked as if she should be working in a prison had accompanied him, taking Cuddy's things while the man took House's backpack.

"I was just calling my friend Jack!" House said, trying to look as innocent as possible, and a little angry to make it all sound true.

"That's all it was," Cuddy said, forced to surrender her things, including her purse. "Jack was supposed to meet us here, isn't that right?" she hissed the last part through her teeth, glaring up at House.

"Oh…yeah…but he came here a little early and I wanted to catch him before he went into the terminal, but," House shrugged, "looks like he boarded the plane without us."

"Looks like he'll be getting to your destination ahead of you, because you'll be in jail for a few days. Come with me."

Cuddy tried her hardest to hold back a yell of frustration as the burly man lead the way and the woman followed behind Cuddy. Jail?! Only House would do this! That son of a bitch! She didn't even care that they were being stared down by everyone in the area. She was too busy fuming at the face, thinking that the next time she gets House alone, he's going to have a nice little welt on his face!

"He's not a terrorist," Cuddy said when they entered the security office next to the scanners. She glared up at him again, hating that he looked so innocent. "He's an idiot!"

The woman was through rummaging around in Cuddy's bags and they were given back to her.

"I told you a hundred times, I was waving to my friend Jack! Since when did that name become extinct?!"

"Since the September 11 attacks!" the man yelled at him. "Obviously you think it's a joke, but it's not."

"Look, I'm not involved in this," Cuddy said, holding her hands up and defending herself. "I'm a doctor and I'm on my way to Japan for a very important meeting. So is this moron I'm with."

"You're a doctor?" the woman asked, frowning.

"No, I'm just traveling with my very sexy woman here and my friend JACK," he stressed.

"Doctor or no doctor, we can't let you on that plane." The woman looked up to Cuddy. "You can't go either, I'm sorry. We need to take every precaution these days after what happened on that day." The woman actually sounded somewhat sympathetic when it came to Cuddy, as if she understood.

Cuddy sighed and reached into her pocket. The two watched her carefully, making sure it wasn't a weapon she pulled out.

Cuddy slapped her hospital ID down on the desk the woman sat at. "My name is Lisa Cuddy; I'm the Dean at Princeton Plainsboro. This flight is very important to me and my hospital. The only reason I'm traveling with this bum is because I didn't want to fly alone. Although now I'm really wishing I took my Oncologist instead."

"You asked Wilson?" House asked, not knowing about that. "I thought he just asked me because you were talking about it."

"He wasn't my first choice, but anything's better than you right now."

Now the woman looked very sympathetic. She believed Cuddy, every word, but protocol was protocol. She handed her back her ID, shaking her head. "I'm sorry Dr. Cuddy."

"So you're telling me I have to go to jail because House decided to say hi to a friend?"

"Greg!" Someone yelled outside, hurrying to them. The four in the room looked back to see who could be calling him. A man, not much younger than House, approached the door out of breath, as if he ran to them from the other side of the terminal. "I got worried when you didn't show up right away."

House grinned. "Oh, hi JACK," he stressed again, gathering an immediate frown from Cuddy.

"You're Jack?" the burly man asked.

"Yeah…man, you had me worried. Why are you in here?"

"I'd like to see some ID," the woman said, holding out her hand.

Jack frowned, but reached into his wallet anyway and pulled out his driver's license. His name, was in fact, Jack. Jack McCloud, to be exact, making him sound like some sort of bounty hunter. Cuddy frowned, a little muddled at this, but didn't want to make it look terribly obvious.

"Happy now? Can we go?" House asked, standing up and readying himself.

"You can go. Sorry about the inconvenience, Dr. House."

House scoffed and left the room in a rage. Cuddy followed, but didn't dare say anything until they were away from security completely.

She opened her mouth, but didn't get a word out when she saw House reach into his wallet to pay Jack a fifty-dollar bill and tapped him on the shoulder with thanks.

After that, he walked away. Cuddy stared after him, jaw dropped.

"What was that?!"

House walked onward with a smug smile on his face.

"I'm serious, House! Who was that and why did you pay him?"

"I'm starting a new trend with whores," he said, continuing to walk down the terminal. "Guys might be fun, too."

Cuddy screwed up her face in disgust.

"Relax, I'm kidding," he said, never wanting to see that face again. "I was late because I was trying to find someone named Jack. The lines were long and I know we might miss our flight, so in order to prevent you from biting my head off and being pissy, I planned to get caught and then have this Jack guy come up and rescue us. That way, we didn't have to stand in the long line."

Cuddy's eyes went wide. She didn't know whether to thank him or smack him senseless.

"But what if he didn't show up?! House, you could've gotten us thrown in jail! I could've lost my license and my job—"

"They won't take away your license, Cuddy."

"They will if we get arrested for terrorism!" she said loudly, attracting ears and turned heads again.

"Keep your voice down. I didn't meet anyone with the first or last name "terrorism" to help us out so have fun getting out of that one."

Cuddy scoffed and shook her head. "I hate you."

"No you don't. You love me. We made our flight because of me."

"We also could've made it in jail because of you! That was the stupidest thing you've ever done…But thank you," she added quietly.

House smiled. "See, you don't hate me. You could never hate me. I'm too loveable."

"Don't push it," she muttered, smirking slightly. She couldn't help it. Any normal person would've waited in the line, but because this flight was too important to miss, House took it to the next step and got them out of line. No one else in the world would do that for her. Only House. He was definitely one of a kind.

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They boarded the flight on time with about fifteen minutes to spare. They had assigned seats in coach. House sat towards the front, while Cuddy sat near the back. It was a relief not to be near him. He would only drive her insane. This way she could read without him interrupting, although before arriving at their layover at LAX, he frequently had to "go to the bathroom" so he would be constantly walking by her. She was thankful that both seats next to her were taken so House couldn't sneak his way in with her.

After LAX, the flight was nonstop to Tokyo's Narita International Airport. This time, Cuddy did get stuck with House, much to her dismay. It took seven hours to get from New Jersey to California and now she has to spend fourteen hours attached to his hip in coach.

"Did you know that it's a fourteen hour time difference in Japan? Makes me feel like I'm living in the past in New Jersey."

"Ha…ha…" Cuddy drawled out, thinking that was the dumbest joke he's ever made.

"Come on, Cuddy, we're going to be together for the next fourteen hours on this flight, don't you think we should be nice to one another?"

"That'll be the day," Cuddy muttered, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, even before they took off. House frowned upon that.

"You're going to sleep already? We're not even in the air yet!"

"I'm tired. I was up earlier than usual. Plus, the less time I stay conscious with you, the better the trip will be."

"You could've at least let me have the window seat if you plan on sleeping the entire time," House muttered, shifting in his seat to make himself comfortable.

"Stop moving around," she said, opening her eyes up slightly. "You're making the seats shake."

"Oh, well, excuse me, your highness, I didn't realize I was," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're the one who dragged me onto this stupid trip and so far I've been getting the short end of every stick."

Cuddy nearly busted out laughing. "_You_? What about me when you had your little escapade leaving the airport? I think it's only fair you're paid back."

"I did it for you!" he said, very un-House-like

"You never do anything for me. You try to avoid me."

"Then why would I do it? I certainly as hell don't want to be on this trip. I'd rather be home, watching reruns of _Heathcliff_ on _YouTube_."

Cuddy chuckled. "The idea of you doing something for someone else that has a positive effect doesn't sound anything like you, so forgive me if it's taking a short time to see it your way. I'm still concerned about how we were almost arrested."

House rolled his eyes and tossed his head back against the seat. "For the love of god, woman, will you get over it? Just think of it as a bribe."

"Bribe?" Cuddy repeated. "Bribe for what?" She hated to ask.

"I can still expand my department and hire another fellow without having to perform a speech," he said, followed by a silly smile.

"I thought you weren't doing that?"

House chortled. "You kidding? A bigger office means more places to hide from you and another fellow means less work for me." He crossed his legs at the ankles, interlocked his hands behind his head, and stretched out with a satisfied sigh.

"Not a chance," Cuddy muttered. "Now that I know your plans, forget it."

"Oh come on!" he said, straightening himself up. Stretching out was just for dramatic purposes to add on to the end of his sentence. His face fell serious. "You promised!"

"When we get back to Princeton and IF I see your performance approve, we'll talk about the development for your department."

"MOOOM," he whined, putting on a pouting face.

"AFTER you give that speech."

He watched her zip open the main compartment on her carryon and pull out the proposal. It made him cringe even worse than it did the first time he saw it. She slapped it down on his lap.

"It's something to keep you busy for the next fourteen hours while I sleep."

House flashed an 'I officially hate you' look at her with the addition of narrowing his eyes while Cuddy grinned in return.

"That is the last time I do anything good for you."

A chuckle arouse in Cuddy's throat as she was forced to take back the documents. "It's about the only good thing you've ever done for me, House."

The banter had to be put on hold as the flight attendants went about the plane, speaking of what to do in an emergency. That went on a good five minutes before the plane took off. House had no choice but to listen. He couldn't put on his iPod shuffle because the radio waves would interfere with takeoff. Cuddy even had to elbow him in the middle of it because he refused to put his cell phone on airplane mode when the woman up front had told everyone to either do that, or turn them off. Cuddy grabbed it from him and turned it off when he was being stubborn. She kept it and tossed it into her briefcase so he wouldn't turn it back on. House muttered something under his breath and grabbed a random magazine from the pouch on the seat in front of him. Cuddy didn't bother with him. At least he was being quiet and not being a nuisance to anyone.

Cuddy watched one of the stewardesses head up from the isle, checking and making sure there was no luggage on the empty seats and that everyone was properly buckled up. She rolled her eyes when the young woman stopped at their row.

"Sir, you have to buckle up," she said in a sweet tone.

House didn't look up from the magazine that almost covered his face. "Sorry, can't. Bum leg."

"We can't take off unless you do."

House glanced to Cuddy, smirking. "Really?"

"House, buckle your damn seatbelt. Don't do this," she hissed, tempted to put it on herself.

"Give me my extra fellow."

"House—"

"Then I don't buckle up. Sorry folks, this flight is high and dry!" he yelled out.

Cuddy felt embarrassment wash over her as her cheeks flushed. "For the love of god…" she murmured and reached across his lap to grab the first half of the seatbelt and connected both of them together, followed by a whisper of apologies to the stewardess, who then moved on with a frown.

Cuddy didn't realize she was still leaned over in House's direction, face inches away from his and her hand on his lap, over the buckle of the seatbelt. She couldn't find the ability to breathe and her heart skipped a beat.

House glanced down at his lap. "Take back your hand unless you plan to take it to the next step." His voice didn't falter. He was still the same House, even though he hadn't been this close to his boss in a while.

Cuddy pulled her hand away and straightened herself up in her seat. "Next time, don't embarrass me." She continued on and the feelings immediately went away.

"Next time, don't get me aroused and not finish the job," he countered sarcastically.

Cuddy shot him a look. "I wouldn't have had to reach over if you grew up and did as you were told!"

This was going to be one stressful flight.

**-----------------------**

**I thought I would get away from the usuals and try something new. I love drama and there's nothing more dramatic than being stuck on an island! Don't worry, House will still be House. He won't be OOC at all, but being stranded with hardly any resources makes people do funny things, so he'll have his moments. Reviews help me update faster, so tell me what you think!**


	2. Turbulence

**Thank you everyone sooo much for the reviews! They mean a lot!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy was on her fourth club soda with lime when the plane hit another round of turbulence. Every time the plane shook, Cuddy tensed. Normally, a flight with this altitude wouldn't experience this much turbulence. They were only five hours into the flight to boot. There was still nine more to go.

House had fallen asleep listening to his shuffle, leaving Cuddy to read old, beat up and torn magazines. She grew bored of the book she was reading and since she didn't have her iPod with her, she was stuck staring out the window in thought. The further west they went, the more beautiful the day was. The voice on the loudspeaker told them they were about to head over Hawaii, after apologizing, yet again, for the instability. The excuse was the same as last time—the winds were strong. Evidently, they were so strong that their flight would be delayed arriving in Tokyo.

"Great…" Cuddy murmured. Good thing the speech wasn't until tomorrow.

Cuddy went back to reading a catalog to some store she's never heard of that sold mineral items of some kind. Halfway down the page, she was bored again and put it back into the pouch. Who buys granite silverware? Especially with the concern these days about things containing lead in them and granite is definitely a carrier. 'Wow…I must be bored if I'm thinking about things that contain lead,' Cuddy said to herself and then glanced over to House.

Damn him…why was he the one to fall asleep so easily? Cuddy reached over to him and carefully pulled the earbuds from his ears and took his shuffle from his lap. He wasn't listening to it, so she wanted to.

She had a feeling she wouldn't agree with his songs, but something was better than nothing. She slipped the earbuds into her ears to listen to what was currently playing. She had no idea who this band was and because there was no screen to display the info, she couldn't find out.

Music helped Cuddy think, even if it was a rock band that was blasting in her ears. But sometimes she shouldn't think. Thinking usually came with the good and the bad. Mostly the bad. Not that Cuddy has anything to be regretful for. She made some pretty good choices in life.

Cuddy leaned her head up against the wall of the plane and closed her eyes. She can sleep through anything, so the music wasn't a problem. Her mind was somewhere else anyway. Her current thought of choice was how she still wanted a baby, even after the heartbreak she felt losing the three in-vitro babies. She'll never forget the time she woke up one morning before work and miscarried the third one in the bathroom. Being a doctor, she knew what a miscarriage was like. There was not a moment in her life previous to that where she felt as hurt and empty as she did. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't decide to get angry or start bawling.

'Come on, Lisa, there has to be something else to think about,' she said to herself, getting herself away from the horrible memory.

There was plenty to think about. This time, she did it with her eyes open, staring at the crystal clear blue water eight miles beneath her. It's all that could be seen the majority of the time, although from time to time a small body of land would come into view. She was missing Hawaii completely because she was on the wrong side of the plane. The other side got the view while she stared at the mass of water as far as the eye could see. Rarely she would see boats that were as small as ants and the occasional cloud that the plane would pass through, but other than that, she was hugely deprived with the scenery.

Sleep was impossible. She ruled that out when her mind was so full and wouldn't stop talking. The flight was only nine more hours and with the difference in time, she could make up the hours of sleep she missed when they got to Japan.

Cuddy skipped to the next song, which she recognized, but couldn't remember the title. It's possible she heard it in House's office one time when he was blaring his Nano for the entire floor to hear. She's heard many of his songs that way. He had mostly oldies and classics. Cuddy was an eighties listener and that didn't include hard rock bands. She usually shied away from them, but for some reason, House's music felt right.

Felt right? Okay…that's scary. Cuddy didn't want to find herself getting any closer to House and by saying she likes the music he listens to had made it so.

It didn't last much longer because she felt a poke at the side of her arm and saw House's hand reach out. She glanced over at him, suddenly feeling a twinge of awkwardness that she actually took the device from him in the first place. Who does that anyway?

"Cough it up," he said somewhat groggily, wiping the tiredness away from his face with his free hand.

"No, you were asleep," Cuddy said, pausing the shuffle but not removing the earbuds. "I was bored."

House woke up amazingly fast after that. His blue eyes went wide in surprise, as if he never heard her say she was bored before.

"Well, Cuddy, if you're bored, I can think of ways to entertain you. Is the bathroom free?"

Cuddy rolled her eyes and gave him back his shuffle. "Everything is a sexual implication with you."

"Is not," he said, donning the earbuds.

"Is too," she argued back, taking her book and having no choice but to read it with the lack of nothing better to do. "You couldn't last one week without either your Vicodin or sex." Cuddy stuck her nose in the book after that to look as if she was reading and wanted no interruptions.

"Well, excuse me, Miss Celibate, but just because you're not getting any, or have gotten any in the past year and some odd eleven whatever months, don't take your frustrations out on me. Your sexual frustrations, however, is a different story." He looked up at the instrument panel above the seat and saw that the bathroom sign wasn't illuminated. He gestured towards the sign with a raised thumb. "What do you say? Oh wait, never mind, someone just went in there. You'll have to wait."

"House, will you shut up?" she whined. "I'm trying to read."

"No, what you're trying to do is change the subject. When was the last time you had sex?"

Cuddy's eyes widened to the extent that they just might pop out of her head. House is House, but she still didn't expect him to ask her that!

"That is none of your business!" she exclaimed. "I still want to keep some personal things undisclosed from you."

House chuckled. "Right. You're just humiliated that I asked you. Your cheeks are red."

That they were. In fact, Cuddy could feel them burning.

"That's what happens to normal people when you invade their private life!"

"You're not normal."

"Oh, I'm not?" She was surprised that statement came up. "And you are?"

"Never said I was. That's why we make the perfect couple."

Cuddy laughed quietly at that. "I don't think so. I'd rather remain single the rest of my life than have even the thought of you with me."

House's mouth dropped. "Well that's just mean! I'm heartbroken," he said, but didn't sound serious. He was being cynical and that only infuriated Cuddy further. Why can't he ever be serious for a change, especially about something like this? Actually, the more serious a conversation was, the more sardonic he became. Perhaps it was his coping mechanism for the inability to be serious. Or maybe he was just a huge jerk, like what was running through Cuddy's mind about him right now.

"I bet you are," she muttered, realizing she wasn't actually reading, but scanning the words on the page as if she were reading, but her mind was distracted. She had to reread the page again.

"Oh, look, the bathroom is vacant. Let's go before someone else gets it."

Getting away from House was a very good idea. However, if he followed her in there, she vowed mentally to kill him.

His eyes went wide when she stood.

"Don't get too excited," she said, dropping her open book on the now empty seat. "You're not following me."

She swung the strap of her purse over her shoulder and went to get out, but House didn't move his legs. In fact, he shifted further down so she would have to step over him if she wanted to get out. His tray being down didn't help the situation.

"House, move," she said, waving her hand towards his legs that blocked her path.

"Crawl over me," he said, wearing a sickening smirk, holding his arms out briefly, as if to embrace her.

Cuddy felt like the center of attention with everyone looking up at her, wondering why she was out of her seat and standing there. They probably didn't think that there was an insolent jerk that refused to let her go to the bathroom.

"I'm not crawling over you," she hissed, keeping her voice down and speaking with barely moving her mouth. "You will never get that satisfaction."

"Well then I guess you're not going to the bathroom. For god sakes woman, stop hounding me!" he yelled out, reaching the ears of everyone in the cabin. "Help! She's abusing me!" He looked around in shock.

Cuddy threw her hand over her face. Why was he her first choice to bring along on this trip? He was going to make her insane, like always. She was already there.

Before the stewardess came back over to see what the problem was, Cuddy took charge. Seeing frowns and hearing whispers from the other passengers was getting to her. She locked his tray in the upright position and stepped over his legs, which required a long stride. However, as if it were planned that way, the plane hit another round of turbulence, making Cuddy lose her balance. She fell forward unexpectedly with a small yelp, reaching out both hands to steady herself. Each one of her hands were on House's armrests and their faces were mere inches apart. The breath was caught in her throat again as she straddled over him. This time, her limbs felt a little weak. However, House wasn't focused on what she was. He set his sights lower.

"Your girls are enjoying this arrangement," he said, speaking of her breasts and felt the urge to jab them now that they were practically up against his face. He got his hands ready. "Come to uncle Greg…"

"Jerk," Cuddy mumbled, getting the proper balance and got off him to head to the bathroom. She didn't even take notice at the fact that she was being stared at by every passenger she passed. House infuriated her. There was no question about it.

When she got to the bathroom and locked the door behind her, Cuddy realized she was angry because he didn't take the action seriously. She anticipated that when she slipped, he would do something about it other than be an ass.

"Did you expect him to feel you up?" Cuddy asked herself aloud in the mirror. "Did you think he was going to lean in and kiss you?"

Cuddy paced lightly, treading the two feet of space she had between each wall with her hand over her forehead. Eventually, she stopped and leaned on the sink with a deep sigh. Okay, so she admits it, House drives her up the wall on an everyday basis, but that doesn't necessarily disqualify him from catching her eye. She puts so much effort into making sure he doesn't screw up, but lets him get his way in the end anyhow. There's a reason for that. It's not because she's weak and powerless under his control and it's not because he's an overly amazing doctor and diagnostician who's usually right with every wild idea and idiotic theory. She lets him get away with everything under the sun because she likes him. Twice she let herself grow numb in his view. She promised herself she wouldn't let it get that far. Then again, she didn't think that she would have to buckle him up or step over him to get to the bathroom either.

Another round of turbulence disrupted her thought process. House was gone from her mind and the worry of too much turbulence took over. She had been on flights before, many times, and never had a case of turbulence. There was the one time flying back from Singapore, but that was it. And the shaking of that plane was nothing like this one. These tremors nearly knocked her off her feet when she stood.

She heard the captain's voice come over the loudspeaker, telling everyone to get into their seats and buckle up. Once again, he apologized for the shaking and that was it. He sounded calm, so there was no reason to panic, right?

Cuddy stepped out of the bathroom and flagged the nearest stewardess down to express her worries about the abnormal quaking of the plane. As expected, she said there was nothing to worry about and that everything was under control.

Under control? So there was a problem…

Cuddy could also read faces. This woman tried to look calm and collective, but her eyes were the eyes of a frightened child. Although she should've pressed harder, she didn't. Cuddy returned to her seat, easily sliding by House this time, who was in the middle of popping Vicodin into his mouth.

"Stole the rest of your club soda," he said, watching her ass as she shifted by him. "I was thirsty."

A frown took over his face when she didn't answer him back, or look like she cared. She buckled up and stayed quiet.

"What's the matter with you? The reflection in the mirror leave you speechless in fear again?"

"There's something not right on this flight," she said, glancing out the window at all the water, only instead of thinking of it as something peaceful, which is what she's been doing for the past five hours, she now saw it as something to fear. The plane would be no match for something as powerful as the ocean.

"Hey, you rhymed!" he pointed out childishly. The smirk on his face was wiped off when she didn't respond. She stared out the window, as if she just lost her best friend. He stepped down from his usual antics for the time being and expressed concern by placing a hand over her shoulder. She didn't flinch under his touch, which was a good thing. "What's wrong?" he asked in a low tone.

Cuddy shook her head. "Nothing. I'm overreacting."

"Is it because of the turbulence?" he asked. "It happens."

"Not that frequently."

"Cuddy, the chances of a plane going down because of turbulence is…one in a billion."

"Maybe it's not just turbulence. Maybe there's a problem."

"Wouldn't they tell us if there's a problem?"

She shook her head. "No, of course not. They wouldn't want us to panic."

"But you're panicking anyway."

"I'm not panicking!" she said loudly, causing the people in the seat in front of her to turn their heads in question. So far, there's been a lot of vocal action in that particular row, so no one paid much attention to House and Cuddy anymore. Any outbursts were becoming normal. If they remained quiet without a yelling of some kind, the passengers would start to worry.

"Right…so I guess it's normal for your face to deadpan while your fists ball up on your lap."

Cuddy didn't realize her fists were clenched and she released them. "I'm just nervous," she said in a low voice. "We're surrounded by water."

House shrugged. "So we'll have something to break our fall if we crash."

She shot him a look.

"I said IF," he said, shifting in the seat again to make his leg comfortable. "You make dying with me seem like we're automatically going to Hell."

Before Cuddy could respond, another wave of shuddering took over the plane and the captain's voice came back over the PA. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the cause of the turbulence is because of the unusual winds out today. Stay calm. We should be through it soon."

The passengers didn't look worried. In fact, the only ones who did look worried were Cuddy and the young stewardess. Drinks and meals were being served up until the seatbelt sign came on, so unless the crew was in huge denial, or there really wasn't anything to worry about and Cuddy needed to unwind. Since when did she become so high strung anyway? No more caffeinated coffee for her before flights again!

"See…it's just the wind outside," House said, snatching the small plastic cup her drink was in off her tray and ate a couple of ice chips that still remained inside. He ate them and sighed when he saw Cuddy was still staring out the window. "Relax, Cuddy, you're going to make yourself sick. Eat your ice chips." He set the cup back onto her tray.

There hasn't been turbulence for several minutes now and the seatbelt sign was turned off. All activity resumed and the flight attendants continued to serve food and drinks while keeping a happy appearance. Even the girl that Cuddy talked to looked pleasant. Maybe there really wasn't anything to worry about.

Cuddy felt a little better and the pain in her stomach from being stressed was fading. About an hour ago when the attendants were coming around with lists on what people wanted for lunch, she ordered a chicken salad sandwich with tomato and a pickle and just received it now. House got the same, minus the pickle, of course.

"Are you feeling up to eating?" he asked, followed by taking an immense bite of his sandwich.

Cuddy nodded and opened the plastic container.

"I mean, who knows…it might be your last meal," he said, mouth full.

"Shut up," she said in a defeated tone.

"I'm sorry…You're just such an easy target right now."

"Yeah, it's just so hilarious that I'm scared of the frequent jolts of the plane." Cuddy picked up a half of her sandwich and bit violently into it. "Don't talk to me. For the next eight and a half hours, I don't want to hear your voice."

"Why? Because I don't share your sympathy about being scared over nothing?"

"Because you're an ass, simple as that," she shot at him.

"You knew I was an ass before you took me on this trip and that didn't stop you. I don't get you, Cuddy. You get mad when I say there's a problem with the plane, and then when I say there's nothing wrong, you still get mad."

"House, stop. Just leave me alone."

House grunted, frowning at her sudden mood swing. "Fine. The next time you need my help for something, remember you said that."

Cuddy didn't say anything in return. She continued to nibble on her sandwich, but couldn't stomach anymore after the first half. She ended up giving it to House, or rather, he took it upon himself to steal it when she said she couldn't eat anymore. He scarfed his own lunch down in less than a minute and was still hungry after Cuddy's half.

Cuddy nibbled on her pickle, still in silent mode. House couldn't leave her alone. He kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. She hadn't said anything in well over ten minutes. She barely so much as turned her head in his direction. She was focused on what was going on outside, probably lost in thought to the point where if he touched her, she would flinch.

Something had Cuddy freaked. There was no question there. House being House really wanted to know what it was that had the great Dean speechless.

After the flight attendants came over with trash bags and the containers from lunch were thrown away, House made his move. He lightly placed his hand over her knee and squeezed gently. "Hey…feel like talking?"

Before she could answer, the plane suddenly made a sharp tilt to the right and started to shake so severely, it was like all the previous turbulence episodes mixed in as one. Cries erupted from the passengers. House had trouble balancing himself in his seat and pushed into Cuddy and his own armrest. No one sitting in the isle seats could hold the upright position. House wasn't the only one. Carryon bags fell out of the compartments on the right side of the plane, slamming into whoever was on the left. One of the bags hit House in the leg, but thankfully it wasn't his bad leg. That was only a mere foreshadowing of what was to come.

Cuddy knew they were in trouble when the oxygen masks came down from above their heads. Her gut feeling was right. The turbulence wasn't just turbulence. All the other passengers must've felt the same way, for there were cries of all volumes, tones, and urgencies all around her, fitting the moment. She and House were the only ones not appearing to panic. She did more panicking when she wasn't sure the status of the plane. There wasn't even any time for tears. All she could do was helplessly stare at the endless ocean miles beneath her.

When the plane straightened out enough for House to find his footing, he stood up and reached into their overhead compartment, ignoring the tremors beneath his feet that struggled to bring him down. With his leg, it was difficult to maintain balance. Without his cane, it didn't make the attempt any easier. He only had one thing in mind—he wanted to protect Cuddy. Judging by how the plane was tilting to the right, the right side was going to be the side hitting the water first if it came to that. He didn't know what else to do. Cuddy watched him, complete fear in her eyes, wondering what he was doing. While all the other passengers had their oxygen masks on, House and Cuddy knew they were useless. There was no need for them. Instead, House pulled out all the blankets and pillows he could in their section, as well as neighboring compartments.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked, face completely blanched as she gripped the ends of her armrests and hung on for dear life.

"I'm not taking any chances. Move up your armrest next to the wall."

Cuddy did so.

"I forgot my How To Survive A Plane Crash manual back at home, so this will have to do." He covered the wall of the plane beside Cuddy with blankets and pillows as if it would lessen the impact should the plane hit the water on the side.

"Nowhere in any manual does it say to do this."

"In mine it does. Shut up and go with it."

Cuddy swallowed hard and nodded. House took her hand in his once he was through prepping her with so many blankets and pillows that if she threw herself against them, no way would she feel the wall of the plane. Her hand trembled and was so warm, despite the events. Neither of them could sit still in their seat. The shaking didn't allow it. Cuddy felt the tears come to her eyes after the intensity of the situation finally became real. You never really know when something will happen to you. Even in moments like this, you have regrets. You wish you were a better person to others, you wish you worked less, and most of all, you wish you could've said goodbye to those you love. It's not fair to them any more than it is to you. Did House feel that way, too? What was going through his mind? His face remained emotionless.

This can't be it. Despite the screams, the cries, the shaking, the opening of compartments and luggage flying everywhere, and the oxygen masks, all of the above giving it a clear blatancy that this was in fact a doomed airliner, House knew it couldn't be over. It only ended this suddenly and abruptly in TV shows. This didn't happen in real life!

The loud whizzing of the engine echoed through the walls as the plane started plummeting. The scene before them was, in fact, authentic. House felt helpless. He wanted to do more for Cuddy. Their eyes met, as if meeting for the last time. He hated himself for not being able to do more. He's a brilliant man in so many ways and forms. Too bad nothing helped here. The only thing he was focused on was the hurt and fear in Cuddy's eyes. There was also some hope. Like House, she didn't want to believe that this was happening. If they survive the crash, how would they get out of the plane before the pressure builds up around the doors? By the time the pressure outside becomes neutral with the inside of the plane, the cabin will be completely filled up and the passengers would drown. And who knows how deep the ocean floor is. It could be miles!

Cuddy's stomach tightened once more and her throat went dry. The captain came onto the loudspeaker and told them they were experiencing malfunctions and they needed to land. He reminded them that the seat they were sitting on could be used as a flotation device until help arrived. He was making light of the situation. They weren't landing; they were crashing. The rumbling of the engine beneath them and the groaning, grinding sounds the plane was making had confirmed that theory.

It wasn't long before they were plunging so fast that House and Cuddy were being lifted out of their seats. As House expected, the plane veered off to the right.

The lights flickered.

Cuddy grasped onto House's hand so hard that it would most certainly be broken after this. She sat so still in her seat. Her body was tense and her head leaned back onto the chair, eyes screwed shut, wishing and praying this would stop and somehow reverse itself.

House, on the other hand, knew what kind of trouble they were in now that he had time to think about it. He was aware of the cabin pressure once the plane started to sink and knew of the danger the passengers would be in if the plane hit the water. It would be such a force that it would be like the plane landing into cement at that stage. Breaking the surface of water at this speed, you might as well be crashing into the ground. The passengers would either be ejected from their seatbelts and flung so violently that they would hit something and die instantly, or they would remain in their seats and jolt forward at such a velocity, their backs would snap. It wasn't a winning situation either way, teetering off to the right or not. It would still be on an angle. In fact, crashing on Cuddy's side would only kill her faster. He didn't know what he was thinking with the pillows and blankets. Not enough cushioning in the world would save her.

Cuddy wasn't thinking of a way to escape right now; she was thinking of a way to escape once the plane hit the water, assuming she was still alive to think of it.

House racked his brain trying to think of a way he could save themselves. He popped two Vicodin and then secured it tightly in the zip up pocket of his shorts, making sure that wherever he went, his precious pills went with him. After this, he had a feeling he would need them.

"We're going to die," Cuddy whispered, giving up altogether.

"No we're not, we're going to jump."

Cuddy's eyes shot open. "What?"

"If we stay here, we'll die for sure." House was determined. His eyes were wide and his willpower was great. "The emergency exit is right behind us."

Cuddy's face dropped in horror. "If we _jump_, we'll die for sure!" she exclaimed. "We're still miles up!"

"If we keep going, we'll be miles up in Heaven."

"Have you gone insane?!" she cried, feeling fear for a different reason now. She watched in horror as House come to a stand. "House!"

"If we stay on this plane, we're dead either way!" he yelled in anger. "The pillow idea was stupid. I wasn't thinking. Once this plane hits the water, the force will be so great that it will probably split in two."

"Then we have a chance!" Cuddy yelled back.

"Too bad you'll be dead before you get to make that choice! We're going at a speed of about five hundred miles an hour right now. Take that and add a brick wall at the end. Not only will the plane split, the impact will kill everyone on contact. If it doesn't, the water coming into contact with the empty cabin will put pressure around it and either explode, or rip the plane into shreds in the blink of an eye." He grasped her upper arm as he told her all this. "You're jumping, Cuddy, even if I have to push you out myself."

Cuddy shook her head and continued to cry. They were coming very fast to the ocean and had about less than thirty seconds to go. The cabin filled up with loud prayers and pleas for survival.

"You can't swim with your leg," was all she could say. "I'll lose you anyway."

Their time was running short. House took her by the arm and pulled her into him. "You're not going to be able to make a normal jump from the door. Because of the speed, you will be sucked out. When you regain your momentum, hold your arms tightly to your body and pencil-drop into the water. When you're under water, spread your arms and legs out as far as you can to slow you from going down deeper."

House didn't wait for a response this time. It was awkward, but he managed to find his footing with the unusual angle of the plane as the grinding and cracking sounds continued to fill the cabin. He didn't care what happened to him, just as long as Cuddy lived to tell the tale.

They had about fifteen seconds now. The water was coming dangerously closer.

The emergency door was right behind them. Cuddy did her part by grabbing the two seats they were sitting on to throw out the door so they would have something to hold onto, assuming they could be found after this. House got to the door, but didn't open it. He knew that once he did, he and the door would be thrust out of there like weightless paper.

He didn't say anything as he looked to Cuddy. There was still a chance they wouldn't make it. She would, but not him. His leg coming in contact with the water would be enough to kill him. The pain would kill him before anything else did. What forced him to hold on was he not wanting Cuddy to go through this alone. He talked her into this, he planned to stick this through like a man.

"Do it," Cuddy said, barely moving her mouth.

House tightened up the muscles in his body and neck and unlatched the door. What happened to them is exactly what he said would happen. House and the door were immediately sucked from the plane, but he became neutral once he was in the air. He didn't have much time to recover from the dizziness being pulled from the plane had caused, for he was falling for the water much too quickly. They were still a mile or so away from the water, so it still looked very far away. He sealed his arms to his body and mimicked the position he told Cuddy to perform.

Cuddy? Where was she? House looked around. He never saw her leave the plane. Off in the distance, the plane had crashed into the water, creating an overly humungous tidal wave, resembling a bit of a tsunami. Cracking also filled the air. He was right. The plane hit the surface with so much force that it couldn't compensate for the weight. The water in this case weighted a billion times more than the plane, exploding it from the inside once it broke the surface.

He was mere feet from hitting the water now and he still couldn't spot Cuddy. He looked in every direction. She did jump, right? Oh god please say she didn't hold back out of fear and remained on the plane! He thought about her up until he hit the water. To a normal person, it's not so bad striking the surface. Bare skin, however, you're going to feel the sharp pain. It feels like you're being whipped with a belt all over the exposed area. Take a belt, turn up the intensity, and hit his bad leg. He found it hard to do anything other than think about the pain his leg felt once he hit the water. He couldn't even spread his legs out to stop him from going deeper into the water. He tried, but his bum leg didn't allow him to. His arms and good leg helped, but brought him deeper under the water, further than it would take him to be able to swim to the surface for air. If he didn't start swimming up now, he would drown.

House wasn't one to panic, but when you're underwater with a bum leg and the surface so far out of your reach and worried about your traveling companion, even the toughest jerk in the world would be scared at this point.

He had to help Cuddy. Seeing her face in his mind gave him use of his bad leg. It hurt like hell and he resisted the urge to scream under the water, but it worked. He gained momentum. He closed his eyes tightly to picture her face better. The more he could see her smile and hear her laugh, the greater his urgency was to break to the surface. He was, however, still a long way away and his lungs started begging him for air. They became so tight that he was almost sure they would pop.

There's no way. The surface was still twenty feet away and still suffering the after affects of the tidal wave from the plane. How could something so close be so far? House achieved so much in his life and quickly became angry with himself that he couldn't swim up fast enough to get air in order to stay alive. Something that small, he couldn't do. If he couldn't do that, how the hell would he be able to float and wait to be rescued?

With no more than ten feet to go, House gave up. He was too worn out to continue. If he couldn't help himself, what good was he to anyone else? What good was he to Cuddy?

House wasn't one to give up and the thought of it shot his ego. Good thing he'd be able to take that information with him to the grave with him. At this rate, it didn't look so good.

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	3. Drifting

**Thanks guys for the wonderful reviews! It is way more than what I was expecting! Big hugs and kisses for everyone!**

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House felt someone take him by the arms and something press up against his lips that resembled a mouth. Was he dead? He was sure he was still under the water, but what was going on? He found himself incapable of opening his eyes to take a look.

He was able to take a breath because of a tactic involving someone else's mouth that shared their air with him. It wasn't much, but just enough so his lungs didn't hurt. As soon as his lungs were filled, he was able to wave the dizziness and return to somewhat normal. Fortunately, as this happened, he had already broken the surface, thanks to a pair of strong arms.

"Cuddy…" he whispered, although it sounded more like a gasp as he sharply drew in a much-needed breath, followed by a series of coughs.

His eyes opened immediately, but he was having trouble fighting off the blurry vision, due to the salt. His arms were placed on something hard that steadied him and kept him afloat. It was the seat from the plane.

"I'm here," Cuddy said, sounding just as worn out as him. She looked as if she had swam a mile to reach him and did so in record time. "My limbs are tired and my side hurts like hell from landing on an angle, but I'm okay." She put her arm around him to give him extra support.

House struggled to catch his breath. This worried Cuddy. She leaned in closer to him.

"I didn't…see you jump." It hurt to speak. It felt like his lungs were being pressed on.

"I followed after you so I was able to see where you were if you needed my help," Cuddy explained. She was clearly in better shape than he was. Her voice never faltered. It's like this never happened.

"Where did you learn that mouth thing?" He looked at her. "From an old _Baywatch_ episode or something?"

Cuddy had to chuckle. House was still House. "I read it somewhere." She lightly ran her fingers around some bruising that was starting to appear at the side of his face. "Never thought I'd get to try it though."

"Did anyone else jump with you?" he asked, just now remembering the plane wreck.

She dropped her hand from his face and shook her head solemnly. "No. They went down with the plane. I think people were trying to follow me, but it was too late. I heard the plane explode when I was under the water." Cuddy closed her eyes as the images of passengers panicking and screaming up until the last minute filled her head and ears. When she was under the water, it sounded like a million shotguns were going off in her ear at once when the plane broke the surface and exploded from the inside about a mile away from her. The explosion also caused some breaking of the water beneath the surface, which officially pushed Cuddy in House's direction to help him. "God…I swear if I survive this, I'll never fly again."

"Me either. Although I'm starting to wish you went with Wilson instead. Or Cameron. If you went with her, you'd probably be dead right now."

"This really isn't a time for jokes, House," she breathed and then picked up her head to look around.

"Who's joking? And now I have to float around for days on an airplane seat filled with beer farts while my Vicodin is probably waterlogged."

"You brought your Vicodin?" Cuddy asked, as if it were a surprise to her.

"In my pocket. I'm not sharing," he quickly added.

"I didn't ask you to. The bottle, by the way, is waterproof, assuming you put the cap on correctly."

"I've been putting the cap back on correctly for six years, except for when I tried to kill Wilson's mutt."

"Well, then, you'll live." All House needed was his Vicodin. As long as he had that, he would continue to make wise decisions and stay alert.

"For now. It's only a matter of time before some hungry shark comes along and wants to nibble at our legs."

Cuddy's stomach turned. Sharks isn't something she gave a thought about. Floating in the water like this was definitely dangerous if they had to remain this way for a long time.

"If I knew these were the clothes I'd be dying in, I would've picked different ones."

"House, stop! We're not going to die!"

"You think positive, I'll be realistic."

"What you're being is an ass. I didn't save you so you can make an already miserable moment more miserable."

"Then you should've let me drown. You're only delaying the inevitable, Cuddy."

"I wasn't going to let you drown, no matter how much of an ass you are. You're not leaving me alone up here. And don't give up before you start trying."

Back on the plane, House definitely didn't appear to be the type to give up. At first, he was in denial and didn't care, but picked right up with crazy ideas to save himself and Cuddy. Why go through all that, including a dangerous jump from an airplane, just to give up now? House was in denial again. It was easier for him to be in denial than for him to express his feelings.

"Look at our options!" he said, throwing his hand out to a random spot in front of him. "There's ocean, every which way you go. There are no boats, no people, no nothing. There isn't even any land."

"Someone must know about the crash," Cuddy said, voice low.

"Even if they do, they'll never reach us in time. For all you know, the nearest shark is just around the corner."

"You saved us knowing we would have to float! Why not just go down with the plane then?"

"I didn't want to die that way," he said, grip tightening around the edge of the seat.

"Oh so it's better to die being shark bait rather than blowing up in an airplane?" Cuddy asked bitterly. "And you thought you'd bring me with you, just in case the shark was extra hungry."

"No, I brought you so he'd eat you first and leave after he was done."

Cuddy wouldn't have minded the joke. A joke would be great right now, but House didn't make it sound like one. His tone was serious. It's as if he really saved her life just to throw her to the sharks.

He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't put all his focus to save her on the plane just to throw her to the sharks once they reached the sea. She was sure that wasn't the first thing on his mind when he planned the rescue. He said this because he was just as scared as she was, only he couldn't admit it.

Cuddy didn't know what to say back to something like that. Luckily, she didn't have to. She glanced past House and saw something large floating a few feet away.

"What's that?" Cuddy asked, pointing behind him. House wrenched his neck around to see what she was talking about.

"The emergency door to the plane," he said and looked back at her, wondering if she was thinking the same thing he was.

"Think it'll hold our weight?"

There was only one way to find out. It was floating, which was a good sign. At least this way they would be out of the water completely with room to stretch out. The water was very cold, but neither hardly noticed. They had other things on their mind.

Cuddy tried to help House onto the large emergency door, but her hand was slapped back.

"I can do it," he said and struggled to hoist himself up there.

"I'm just trying to help you," Cuddy pointed out, not understanding why his ego still had a mind of its own at a time like this.

"I don't need to be helped." Eventually, he got up there, but it took a lot out of him. He fell onto his back as Cuddy easily mounted the door without it tipping over.

"I didn't need help either. Thanks for asking," she said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," he played along, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand while fishing for his Vicodin with the other.

Cuddy laid beside him with a small grunt. The salt was starting to dry out her skin and make her hair feel stiff. The salt in her eyes made her sleepy. At least they were out of the water, doubling the chance of their survival rate.

House pulled out his bottle of Vicodin from the zipped up pocket and shook it. The pills still rattled against one another, indicating that no water had gotten into the tube.

"Good thing I brought a full bottle," he said, but put it back into his pocket. He knew he had to save them, and plus, he was too weak to use both hands to open the bottle to take some.

Cuddy turned her head to where the crash was. Nothing was there anymore. It was like the Titanic – there one second and then the entire thing just vanishes under the water with no sign of it ever being there. Even the water calmed down completely. They were the only people out there within a hundred mile radius, give or take, with nothing around them except for ocean.

"Bet you didn't expect this when you woke up this morning," House murmured tiredly.

"I'm starting to wish you did get us arrested today," Cuddy said, making herself comfortable beside House and resting her head against his arm. "What do we do now?"

Both of them were extremely exhausted now that they were safely out of the water and laying down. They wanted nothing more than to fall asleep until they were rescued. It would certainly pass the time.

"We wait," he said, intuitively putting his arm around her to draw her closer to him.

"How long?" she asked just as tired and despite the events that just happened and how awful it was to see your own flight go down and claim all those lives, Cuddy's strength was zapped. Her mind wanted sleep.

House just hummed a response, too tired and worn out to form words.

"…Those…poor…" Cuddy was asleep before she could finish her sentence.

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"Did you reach House yet?" Cameron asked Foreman when he tried for the tenth time to call House in Japan. She entered the office and took a seat at the table across from Chase.

"His phone keeps going to voicemail. So does Cuddy's."

"Maybe they're still in the air," Chase suggested.

"It's been almost a full day. They would've landed by now."

"Maybe the weather is bad somewhere," Cameron offered, looking at the chart of their current patient, one in which they needed House's help on with the diagnosis. "Or they're stuck in the air, in which case they can't turn their phones on. Give it a couple more hours. We know that tomorrow is the meeting with Koshidi-sama, so if they aren't there then, we know there's a problem."

"Why would there be a problem?" Chase asked, dividing a look in between each of his colleagues.

Cameron shrugged. "Anything could happen."

"Like what?" Chase prompted.

"Like anything! What's with the third degree?"

Chase held his hands up in defense. "I was just asking. You get so anxious when you don't know where House is."

"Why do you assume that, because I don't want you bothering me about this?" she bit.

"No, because it's true!" he poked back immaturely. "I thought you said you were over him."

Cameron lightly brought her hands down to the table. How did he come up with something totally different than what they were talking about? With Chase, House usually got the brunt of everything involving Cameron. He always found a way to blame him.

"I am over him," she said. "But no matter how many times I say it, you'll never believe me."

"Because it's not the truth. I see the way you stare at him." His tone comprised of so much jealousy that it made Cameron laugh.

"I don't stare at him," she said, followed by an extra chuckle. "You're being ridiculous."

"Am I?" he asked, tone not letting up. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Okay, guys, let's focus on the patient. Remember her? Cardiac arrest? Unusual brain activity? Ring any bells?" Foreman asked, tired of the bickering between the two. Every time there was a free minute, they would one way or another talk about her being with House.

"I'm not answering that," Cameron said, ignoring Foreman completely, even with eye contact. "Like I said, it's none of your business. I don't ask you who you go around sleeping with."

"If I told you, would you tell me?"

"Not a chance."

"Enough! Just because House isn't here, doesn't mean you get to get off the subject. As long as we're in his office, we stick to the protocol, and that doesn't involve outside personal lives. Save it for later."

"We need House's diagnosis," Chase said.

"So…in the meantime, go run some tests. Do I really need to tell you how to do your job?" His tone towards Chase was hard. Chase left the office after that, glancing at Cameron in the meantime, telling her that this conversation was far from over.

"And you…get a grip on yourself, unless you plan to kill the patient," he said to Cameron.

He left the room before she could say anything.

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During their nap, House and Cuddy weren't unaware that the winds picked up and drifted them off course, heading north. It was hours later when House awoke to a searing, sharp pain in his leg. He automatically took his arm from around Cuddy and reached down to massage it, biting his lip to fight the hurting. His actions also woke Cuddy up, fully alert and concerned.

"You okay?" she asked, propping herself up painfully onto her arm and offering him a hand.

He shook his head. "My leg is killing me." His eyes screwed shut told Cuddy that.

Cuddy felt a pang of guilt in her chest. "What can I do?"

"There's nothing you can do," he said, speaking through clenched teeth.

"Take some of your Vicodin."

To her surprise, he didn't want to. "It has to last."

It hurt Cuddy more to see House in pain than him actually being in pain. It almost brought tears to her eyes. "You need it now," she said, taking it upon herself to reach into his pocket and pull out his nearly full bottle of Vicodin. She unscrewed the cap and extracted two pills without permission.

He accepted them anyway, swallowing them dry after building up enough saliva to do so. His throat was incredibly parched. Cuddy capped the bottle and put it back into his pocket.

"It'll be dark soon," he pointed out, turning his head to the side to watch the sun just slightly dip into the ocean in the far distance. "I don't think help is coming tonight."

"Probably not," Cuddy said. "I'm sure Narita International is aware of the missing plane, but a search and rescue won't happen for about a day or so. They need time to gather the right equipment. And even if they do come out tonight…they have no idea where the plane went down."

"Maybe the pilot radioed in before we crashed. If not, unsinkable debris must be floating around somewhere."

"You can't see debris in the dead of night, House. Plus, we're still miles from Japan. Looking for debris is like trying to find the clichéd needle in a haystack. We're stuck in the middle of nowhere."

"We're a hundred miles from Hawaii. That's somewhere."

"We were a hundred miles when the plane went down. God knows how far we are now. The sun was just about high noon when we crashed. It's setting now. We had to have been sleeping for about seven hours or so and judging by the way the water is carrying us, I'd say we drifted at least ten miles."

House scoffed. "That's nothing. They won't stop searching for us just because we drifted ten miles off course."

"I didn't say they would, House! I'm just telling you what I think."

"Well let me tell you _again_ what I think, Cuddy," he replied bitterly. "I think that by morning, it's not going to matter either way, because we'll both be fish food to the sharks and whatever else likes the taste of blood and human muscle tissue. Ever see _Jaws_? I have. If they want you bad enough, they'll tip you over and sink their teeth into your flesh."

It was hard not to be worried by his blunt statement. It was definitely worse than his comments earlier about sharks. An unsettling feeling stirred up in Cuddy's stomach.

"You didn't have to be so graphic. I'm aware of sharks and what they eat."

"Misunderstood creatures or not, get near one, they'll tear your limbs off."

"Enough, House! You act like I'm planning on jumping in and swimming with them!"

"I'm just preparing you because if you don't stop yelling in my ear, you _will_ be swimming with them."

House's head was already throbbing as is. He didn't need Cuddy's shrieking voice making it worse.

"Don't start threatening me again," she said, glare not letting up on him.

Even though they were stranded in the middle of the largest ocean in the world, he still managed to be an ass. She knew he would never go so far as to going ahead with that threat. If anything, he would jump in and swim with the sharks before making her do it, in spite of him saying otherwise. House is quite far from being noble and honest, but when it came to Lisa Cuddy, he would do it with no questions. Right now, his head hurt, his body hurt, his leg absolutely killed, and his throat was like cotton. If House was with anyone else, he would be thinking about self-preservation throughout the entire ordeal. He wouldn't try to save them like he did with Cuddy. It would be every man for himself.

"What are you going to do about it? Jump and swim away from me?"

Cuddy wished she could walk away from House right now. Back at the hospital, she would either walk out or tell him to leave. On the plane, she could escape to the bathroom. Here, she was forced laying next to him, no matter what. If she pushed at him, they could both tip and fall into the water. They had a lot of extra room on the door they were laying on, but with the seas going from calm to slightly wavy, Cuddy didn't want to take a chance in even switching direction. She would have to deal with House being a jerk. At least it took her mind off a few things, like worrying about what they were going to do once it was so dark that they couldn't see the area around them.

"I would jump, but then you'd come in after me."

"Wanna bet on that?"

"I know you would. The reason you took me with you is so you wouldn't have to be alone, not so you can throw me to sharks."

House laughed quietly. "Right. You think you have me all figured out. I saved you because if Princeton Plainsboro had another Dean of Medicine, I'd be fired that same day and have to flip burgers for a living, making minimum wage. Worst of all, I'd have to move in with Wilson."

Cuddy sent a smile in his direction. He turned his head to the side also and met her eyes. "Then you better be good to me."

A somewhat small smile formed on his face. "Never."

Cuddy laughed and straightened her head out so she was looking back up at the sky. House did as well. They didn't speak for a moment. The sun went down in that short amount of time, leaving a light pink and purple sky behind it. Even the small clouds were a different color. Cuddy thought it was the most beautiful thing. She wished she could enjoy it more on a beach someplace, cuddled up with House on a blanket instead of on a door in the heart of nowhere. Fate was funny at times.

The beautiful colors were only there a short minute before the entire sky lit up almost instantly with a blanket of beautiful twinkling stars. It got dark amazingly fast.

Cuddy was worried. Who could blame her? But with House by her side, she didn't feel as worried as she would be if she were alone. She rested her head up against his shoulder with a content sigh. She felt his right arm move from in between them and embrace her again. Cuddy smiled. There was no securer feeling than this. His arm tucked under her head and his hand came to rest on her arm. Cuddy shifted closer so their sides were touching, but quickly jolted away from him with a small wince.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"I landed on an angle jumping into the water. I couldn't straighten myself out when I was pulled from the plane. It's okay though," she added quickly. "I didn't realize how tender it still was."

"You sure you're okay?"

He felt her nod on his shoulder. He let the subject drop after that. Cuddy slowly connected with him and relaxed. She was still tired, but not enough to sleep just yet. Sleeping probably wasn't a good idea anyway.

She watched the stars blink instead. The only sounds she heard around her were the stable shushing of the water and House's steady breathing. Both were soothing sounds to her ears and brought her into a peaceful state.

"How's your leg?" she asked, trailing a line of stars with her eyes that blinked one after another.

"Hurts like hell."

He fell quiet again after that.

"Talk to me," she prompted.

"I'm tired," he said, although he didn't sound tired at all.

"No you're not. Come on, House, what's on your mind?"

"What's on yours?" he countered.

"I asked you first."

"What's on my mind is asking you what's on yours. Your turn."

At least he was talking to her, Cuddy didn't care if he was being a moron or not. She sighed and nibbled gently on her lower lip before speaking.

"Do you think anyone will miss us?" she asked quietly.

"Whatever happen to you being strong, brave, and any of those other words I can't possibly attain and express without sounding like a bastard."

Cuddy frowned and glanced upwards at him. The light from the stars bounced off his face, making him illuminated enough for her to make out the outlining of his face, as well as the droplets of water on his cheeks. "What does that mean?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said after a brief pause.

"House, you've been nothing but strong. If it hasn't been for you…I might be dead right now."

"No, Cuddy, you _would_ be dead right now."

Cuddy chuckled so low that it was a mere rumble in her throat. "See? There's your proof. You're a hero."

He scoffed. "If I was a real hero, I would've seen what was coming sooner and instead of propping you with pillows, I should've gathered the passengers and told them to jump when the time came."

Cuddy's heart sank. Has this been bothering him the whole time? She turned slightly to her side and got a better view of his face. His eyes were open and staring at the stars as well. She also swore she saw tears in his eyes, but that could very well have been a mistake. His face was splashed with water every now and then from the gentle waves.

"You can't let yourself feel guilty, House. You had no idea," she said gently and rested her free hand on his chest.

"It made sense!" His voice raised. "It was such an easy diagnosis that even a three-year-old could've figured out. Everyone knows the pressure of the water will fold into anything not meeting the mass, exploding it from the inside out if it plunges deep enough. The entire time, it made sense and it didn't click until last minute."

"You had a lot on your mind. Stop beating yourself up. That's reserved for someone like me," she said, smiling small, trying to cheer him up. When he didn't speak, she continued, rubbing her hand softly on his chest. "Hey…at least you didn't think of it as the plane hit the water. You can't save everyone. Being a doctor, you should know that. Just let it go, okay? Your job isn't over yet, you still need to be strong for me."

"I already saved you once. You get no more freebies."

House ended it with a joke. Cuddy smiled. It meant he had no hard feelings. In a way, House would always feel terrible for the reasons he listed above. The discussion was dropped, but still existed within him. Cuddy knew him well. The joke meant he didn't want to talk about it anymore. She would grant him that wish. She didn't want him to feel the burden of the crash if it meant hindering his own chance to survive.

"You saved me, I saved you. We're even."

"You didn't save me," he said, sides of his lips twitching into a small smirk. "I totally had it under control."

Cuddy's mouth dropped. "The hell you did! You were like a wounded seal flapping around under water. And since I'm such an animal lover, I had to save it," she said proudly.

House chuckled weakly and glanced over in her direction for the first time in this conversation. "Well…I'm sure the seal is grateful for your need at being an overbearing, compulsive woman who wants everything to be done her way."

Cuddy was still. Did he just thank her for saving his life? That was a first! She was afraid to say anything and break this moment.

The silence must've been uncomfortable for him, for he continued talking straight away after he thanked her.

"Anyway, in getting back to your previous question, you'll be missed for sure. Me, though…probably not." He picked up after she asked him if they would be missed and before the discussion got off track.

Cuddy immediately scolded him. "Don't say that. Do you know what your mother and father would do if they found out you were in a plane crash?"

"Mom would cry, dad would tell her to grow up and get over it," he mumbled.

"He would not."

"What about your parents? Would they give a damn?"

Cuddy frowned. "Of course they would! My father would probably conduct the search himself to find me."

"Because he loves you or because his ego is bigger than mine and it'll make his image look good if he shows he cares about his daughter?"

Cuddy's relationship with her parents was undefined. No one had ever heard her speak of them in casual conversations, or even refer to them by any means. She never even told House that much about her parents.

"Probably door number two," she said sadly. "Although my mom would make up for it in her own little way by attending church to pray for my survival with other people she forced to join in with her."

"Jews go to church? I just thought they wore those funny-looking cap things and decorated their houses with Menorahs and Draddles without leaving the home."

Cuddy chuckled at how subjective he sounded towards the Jewish culture. "Yes, House, Jews go to church. Some of us, anyway. My mom doesn't go often, only when she wants something. My father, he's a different story, one that I don't like to bring up, even if we are stranded flat dead in the middle of the Pacific with the lack of nothing better to do."

House hummed. "So I take it you don't want to talk about him."

"I believe that's what it sounds like. He makes your father look like a saint."

"No one can make my father look like a saint, not even the devil himself. So does this mean you don't like Christmas?" he asked, changing the subject quickly. Talking about his father was not his strong suit and preferred to avoid it whenever possible.

"House, how long have you known me? You know I'm always the first one with my hand raised every year when the hospital wants to do a party of some kind for Christmas. Just because I'm Jewish doesn't mean I dislike Christmas."

"Actually, that's exactly what it means. You can't have Christmas trees, eat Christmas snow, or come in the vicinity of Christmas directions or you'll be fried by the hand of God."

Cuddy chuckled. "Okay, someone's been watching too much _South Park_."

House frowned. "How would you know about _South Park_?"

"I know about a lot of things you don't know." She rested her chin on his shoulder, so close to his head.

"Well good then, for your information, I didn't get all my Jew jokes from _South Park_. I branch off between _Family Guy_ and _American Dad_. I'm sure there are some Jewish euphemisms in there somewhere."

Cuddy was so wrapped up in talking to House that she temporarily forgot they were floating on a very hard emergency door in the midst of the Pacific. She tried to imagine herself laying on the beach with him again, just like she did when looking up at the sky. Either that, or they were laying in her bed. She asked him to come over because she couldn't sleep and would spend the entire night just talking to him, because like her, he wouldn't be tired either. She would be snuggled up beside him under a warm comforter, surrounded by fluffy pillows. She would neglect her pillow, because she would have House's shoulder to lay on as he pulled her closer to him with his arm, much like he did now.

Suddenly, she shivered, making her whole body flinch.

"You okay?" he asked, rubbing her arm gently with the hand that hugged her body to his.

"I was thinking about my bed and it made me cold," she said with a laugh.

"It is getting colder out here by the minute."

That it was. Cuddy was dried off from the sun earlier today, but the twenty-degree temperature drop from the day to the night didn't help out much with keeping her warm. She brought herself closer to House and tucked her head underneath his chin with a content sigh. She entered a whole new world of serenity when she heard the gentle shushing of his heart.

"We should get some sleep," House suggested in a whisper. "It'll make morning come faster."

Cuddy didn't argue. His heartbeat already brought her halfway there. The other half involved him lightly fingering her curls. She fell asleep seconds later.

Although he suggested it, House didn't fall asleep that night. Instead, he stared at the stars, listening to Cuddy's deep breathing and occasional moan, signaling she was in REM. At least she was able to sink easily into that stage. House would barely get that far if he tried sleeping. Besides, he needed to be awake in case something happened.

So he just drifted along and watched the stars glimmer above him, lightly stroking Cuddy's hair. Would someone be looking for them tomorrow? They were so far from the wreckage; would someone think to look out this way? Do they even know where the wreckage is located? Even the scraps of metal and other debris left over from the crash probably disappeared by now. The only way someone would know where they were is if before they crashed, the pilot gave somebody the coordinates. Thinking there might be survivors, he could've.

Right now, the only thing House knew for absolute certain was they weren't going to last much longer on the water. There were bound to be rough seas, ravenous sharks, and with the lack of water present, they would dehydrate in three days max.

Things still didn't look good for them.

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	4. The Miracle Under The Horizon

**Thanks again for the reviews and the wonderful compliments! I wanted to thank everyone individually, but there are just so many that I couldn't keep up! **

**Hugs and kisses all around! Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy knew she was dreaming. She's never this fortunate. It always helps when you know you're dreaming, so when you wake up, you're not as disillusioned as you would be if it were the other way around. But a part of her was overjoyed to see the emergency seaplane land in the water. The door opened and a pair of brawny arms lifted her into the plane. They didn't say a word to her. Everything was quiet. They offered her water and a warm blanket, which she amiably accepted. She never realized just how much she missed water until it coated her dry, irritated throat like nothing she ever felt before. This was definitely her new favorite drink!

She was so into the wonderful commodities she missed so much that she didn't realize that they never brought House onto the seaplane and just took off. She looked out the window and saw him still floating along the sea, wondering why he was forgotten about. When Cuddy tried telling the pilot and the two others in there that they forgot someone down there, they didn't seem to care. It's as if she were yelling at a wall.

She thought she was dreaming, but now she wasn't so sure. It felt so realistic. Tears came to her eyes and her pulse quickened.

"How can you forget about House?! He was right there!" Cuddy screamed to the faceless rescuers in black clothing who just sat there with their arms folded as they stared at her. "Aren't you listening to me?!"

"Cuddy," one of them said, mouth barely moving.

Cuddy's breath was caught in her throat. Her name was very faint, but one of them definitely said it.

"Cuddy," the other said, following the first.

"What do you want from me?!" Cuddy cried.

"Lisa!" That voice belonged to House.

Cuddy's eyes snapped opened to a brightly lit morning with not a single cloud in the sky. She picked her head up off House's chest with a sharp gasp and turned to look at him.

"You didn't have to scream at me," she mumbled, sliding away from him.

"I beg to differ. You were the one yelling at me," he said.

"I was not."

"Oh you so were. It was enough to wake the dead."

"Liar." Cuddy sat up and stretched her legs.

"What were you dreaming about?" he asked, sitting up halfway and reaching into his pocket for his Vicodin.

"What do you care?"

"Anything that gets you panting like some twelve year old boy with asthma trying to do the hundred meter dash is definitely worth knowing about," he said, popping two Vicodin in his mouth and swallowing them dry, which felt very uncomfortable and almost impossible. It took a couple of attempts to swallow them without choking.

"Are you okay?" Cuddy asked, watching his vain attempt at trying to swallow the pills.

"Don't change the subject," he said, shoving the pills back into his pocket and zipping it up for good measure.

Cuddy rolled her eyes with the shake of her head, unbuttoning her top. "I had a dream that we were rescued, okay? It didn't go so well."

"Why? They leave you behind and rescue me?" he joked with a lopsided grin.

"No, they rescued me and left you," she corrected, wearing a fake grin of her own as she looked back at him.

The conversation was quickly dropped when Cuddy peeled off her white-collared shirt and exposed some skin at her side when her spaghetti-strapped shirt lifted slightly. House's eyes immediately dropped to the exposed flesh he saw before the shirt straightened itself out.

"Lift up your shirt," he said, pointing to her side.

"What?" she asked, bearing a frown. "Why?"

House didn't bother asking again or explaining why he wanted it done. He did it himself. Cuddy didn't try to stop him. He lifted up her shirt at the side to reveal the most sickening bruise he had ever seen. It was so dark that it was almost black and there were some popped blood vessels clearly visible. The bruise had House in awe. It wasn't in just one place either; it covered much of her flesh in an amorphous shape, as if someone came by and splashed paint on her.

"Jesus, Cuddy," he murmured, eyes widened slightly.

"I told you I landed wrong," she said in a small voice, feeling uncomfortable with him looking at the bruise. She drew his hand away and pulled her shirt over the hem of her pants so he couldn't see it anymore.

"Yeah, but for it to look like _that_?"

"House, what do you expect? I've never jumped from a plane before. Or rather, I should say…I've never been _sucked_ from a plane before. You may have it down to an art, but it's a little new to me."

Cuddy was snapping at him.

"You're angry…" he dumbly pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm angry!" Cuddy yelled, filling up the skies with her roar. "I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm dehydrated, I have the hugest headache known to man right now and I just want to go home!"

"Okay, screaming isn't going to counterbalance for my headache, so can you calm your shrieking voice?" he asked, dramatically placing his hand over his head.

Cuddy wanted to blame someone for them being out there this long. She was past the logical thinking stage and moved right into being completely frustrated and used House as her target.

"You're such an ass. I hate you," she spat.

House feigned shock. "You do not!"

"Oh, yes I do." She grasped her button-up shirt and harshly folded into a tiny square. "I've spent way too much time with you in the past…I don't know how many hours, and it's getting on my nerves."

"Well what the hell did you think this was going to be, Cuddy? Lounging on a sofa? We're stuck in the middle of the damn ocean!" he yelled back. "What do you want from me?!"

Cuddy couldn't answer that. In fact, she was surprised that he yelled back. She turned her head away from him with a small sigh. She couldn't stop the tears that came to her eyes. Trying to be strong just wasn't working for her anymore. They've been floating for hours. She didn't know how many hours, but it must almost be an entire day if they were floating since noon yesterday and it was now morning.

Shouldn't help be coming by now? Someone had to have known there was a missing plane when it didn't arrive as scheduled in Japan yesterday. Even if they didn't know where the crash site was, they could still travel the same path the plane did when it crossed the ocean from LA to Tokyo, right? Someone has to be doing something! Acting beside herself, Cuddy started sobbing. It was too early to start panicking about not being rescued, but Cuddy's gut told her it wasn't going to happen. With almost an entire day's worth of floating, they were miles from the site. Who would think to look for them this far out? The rescue team would stay in the domestic area, not branch out a hundred miles off course if they didn't suspect there were survivors out there.

House sat up as best he could and lightly placed his hand over Cuddy's bare arm. "Hey…come on…don't do that."

"We're going to die out here." She still couldn't meet his eyes.

"No we're not. After five days have passed, you can say it then. You're giving up too soon. That's supposed to be reserved for me."

He figured a light joke would loosen up the mood. It didn't.

"Without water, we'd be dead in two days from now."

"Well then in two days from now, assume the worst."

Cuddy threw both hands over her face. "I can't stay here for another two days! I don't even want to be on this fucking door for another two _seconds_!"

House's eyes went wide as she swung her legs over the side of the door. His head perked right up, fully alert.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, afraid she was going to jump into the water.

"I don't know…"

"You're scared we're going to die, but yet you plan to jump into the ocean where god knows what lives in there without regards for your life?"

"If we're going to die, what difference does it make if it's now or in two days from now?"

"Cuddy…don't do anything stupid," House murmured, knowing that if she jumped in there, he couldn't jump in after her. If she was as weak as he was, there's no way she would be able to swim for very long. She'd be flopping around like a fish out of water, especially with her side being the way it was from the fall. The pain would certainly make it harder to swim.

"It hurts to breathe," she whispered, looking down at the ocean lightly rushing against her legs.

Cuddy was panicking. She wasn't thinking clearly. The sane Cuddy would never let herself get this far. If anything, she would be repeating to herself over and over again that a rescue plane would be coming over the horizon at any second. Even though it was a lost hope, she would continue to think that help was right around the corner. Never would she resort to giving up. Not Cuddy. Something must be wrong.

House knew from experience that he was depressed, angry and mean the most when he was in pain from his leg. If he didn't have pills, he was a regular ogre at times. Maybe there was something Cuddy wasn't telling him. Maybe it was something other than her side that bothered her and it was too great of a pain to think logically. But Cuddy wouldn't let it get to her like this. Being stranded makes people do funny things, but this?

Suddenly, something caught the corner of House's eye. It was something so intimidating that it even brought the great Dr. House down in trepidation, if only for a second. It was a shark's fin and it was slowly making its way to them, specifically Cuddy's legs.

"Cuddy…get up here…now," he said, sounding firm, despite what he saw. His eyes were fixed on the shark's fin rather than Cuddy. He didn't feel that threatened for himself. He was worried about Cuddy.

He couldn't just yell to her that there was a shark without the fear that she'd fall in. There wasn't much time to be thinking about what he could do to try to get her to comply. He snaked over a few inches, taking care not to tip them, although come to realize it really isn't that easy to tip the door, so he hurried up the pace. It was an involuntary reflex when he reached both arms around her waist and pulled her back so hard that she fell on top of him. Where he found the strength to do that, he'll never know. At least her legs were out of the water.

Cuddy was still crying. "I'm so sorry," she said, obviously thinking a different reason with why he pulled her back. She didn't see the shark's fin yet. "I wasn't going to jump in. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Forget about that, Cuddy. We have bigger problems."

House held her to him, just in case Cuddy was the type that jumps out of her shoes when she sees something that scares her. He never experienced her scared before. Not like this, anyway.

Turns out that Cuddy paralyzes herself when she's scared. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She straightened herself out into a sitting position on the door, but leaned her entire upper half over House's, eyes locked on to the fin, not saying a word. Her chest was connected to his and their faces nearly touched. She didn't realize it.

"Gee, Cuddy…I think we should be threatened by sharks more often," he said, eyeing her cleavage.

She dropped her head and gave him her wide-eyed look instead of the shark. "How the hell can you be making jokes right now?!"

"Oh, it's not a joke."

"House, there's a shark out there!"

"I'm aware. I was the one who pulled you back because of it, remember?"

"Then why are you—"

"Sharks smell fear, Cuddy, which is why they went right for you. Your legs in the water helped, but since you have no opened cuts, it didn't come here solely based on that. Granted, if I didn't pull you back when I did, you would have lost both legs and probably your lower torso also."

Cuddy's mouth dropped.

"If you don't calm down, he'll just keep circling us. Agitate him, he'll tip us and turn us into fish food."

"Calm down? You expect me to calm down when there's a shark circling us?!" She glanced up at the fin.

"Stop shouting. That's not helping. However, I am enjoying your body trembling."

Cuddy frowned. His sickening sarcastic tone was making her ill.

"I'm trying to get you to lighten up!" he said. "Do so, the shark goes away."

"You can't ask me to stop feeling fear," she said, craning her neck in the opposite direction, keeping her eye on the fin. "Not when there's something that could swallow us whole a few feet away."

Cuddy wasn't going to relax, no matter how House prepared to coax her into doing so. There was one method, however, he didn't try and it was a guaranteed cure. He didn't give it much thought, just like pulling her back earlier. He went for it.

He placed a hand at the back of her head and pulled her down into a kiss. Cuddy gasped against his mouth and tried to pull away, but all escape attempts were futile against his unyielding hand. House didn't stop. He kissed urgently at her unmoving mouth anyway, poking her lips with the tip of his tongue. She opened her mouth and straight away, his tongue found hers, nudging it to come out to play. When it did, House no longer needed to hold Cuddy's head for any reason other than to deepen the kiss.

His impromptu plan worked. Cuddy forgot about the shark. She wasn't completely into it, but at least the majority of her fear vanished.

The kiss went on for about thirty seconds. House let Cuddy pull her head back, but she didn't go far. Their lips remained inches apart while catching their breath.

"Why did you—"

"Feeling calmer now?" he asked, interrupting her.

Cuddy's mood quickly changed again. Her eyes narrowed. "You kissed me to calm me down?!"

"Well…_yeah_. It's not written out there for the infamous Dr. House to be eaten by a shark!"

Cuddy grasped the collar of his Hawaiian shirt. "No, it's written out there for you to be killed by me!"

"Relax, Cuddy! Why else would I want to kiss you? Okay, so I admit I kissed you because I wanted to get closer to your funbags. But other than that, I don't kiss people who are annoying, demanding, bitchy, and moody on a regular basis."

Cuddy felt a twinge of disappointment flow through her veins. She didn't know why he kissed her, but hoped he did because he wanted to, not because he had to.

"I didn't want you to kiss me at all, you bastard," she lied, shifting herself off him, wiping her mouth.

She forgot about the shark entirely until she looked at the waving water out ahead of her and didn't see the fin.

"It's gone, right?" House didn't even have to look around him to reach that conclusion.

Cuddy looked around a few times, just to be sure she wasn't seeing things. "It is." She looked back at him, mouth dropped. "How did you…"

House propped himself up onto his elbow. "Like I said, sharks smell fear and you were definitely stinking. That, and I think what drew him over was the sight of your sexy legs."

"Oh give me a break," Cuddy mumbled. "I still hate you."

-----------

"Has anyone heard from House or Cuddy?" Wilson asked, popping into House's office to meet the clueless faces of the three inhabitants. It has been an entire day, plus some. The time was going on ten o'clock pm, and if that's the case, it's past noon tomorrow in Japan. The meeting was for noon.

"Did you get a call from Koshidi-Sama?" Cameron asked with worry. They were so focused on House that it took a lot of motivation to actually open up their patient's file and look at it. They would reach a lame diagnosis and go right back to talking about House and Cuddy. They spent all last night doing so while waiting for one of them to call, and picked up where they left off this morning when they came into work. Maybe it was nothing. House wasn't famous for ignoring calls. He proved that easily by answering his phone in court not too long ago. If he was bored, he would answer any calls, even calls from creditors, if he had them breathing down his neck. The three of them knew he only went to Japan to keep Cuddy occupied. He was bored out of his mind, ergo, his phone would be always on. It wasn't. Either was Cuddy's. Both would go straight to voicemail.

Just then, Wilson's phone rang. Cameron, Chase, and Foreman inched their heads closer to Wilson as he flipped open his phone and answered it. The three exchanged glances of surprise when the phone call was anything but pleasant, judging on Wilson's facial expressions. It was about House and Cuddy. Cameron's best guess was the person on the other line being Koshidi-Sama, or someone who works for him. Wilson didn't look happy, nor did he look angry.

The phone call lasted about a minute. Wilson closed his phone and swallowed hard.

"Well?" Cameron prompted.

"That was…Koshidi's assistant. Cuddy wasn't at the meeting."

Cameron shook her head. "There could be many reasons for that…Maybe she got confused or lost or forgot what time the meeting was."

"Cuddy's been excited about expanding the pediatrics wing ever since she got the offer. I'm sure she didn't forget what time it was," Foreman said.

"Then what? Where are they?" Cameron asked, worried about her bosses.

"That's a very good question," Wilson said in a low voice and then left the room.

------------

House and Cuddy saw their second evening sun. The time didn't seem as nearly long, for they slept most of the day. After the shark incident, as impossible as it sounds, they fell asleep until about high noon, woke up, talked to one another for a couple hours, and fell back to sleep until about ten minutes ago. Cuddy felt so weak that she could easily sleep an entire day if she was given the option.

"How long do you think it'll be before we run into torrential downpours?" Cuddy asked, finding it more difficult to talk with a dry throat.

"Do I look like the weatherman?" House asked, just as worn out as she was. "I don't know."

"I was just asking." Cuddy sat up with a wince. Not only did her side hurt, her entire body ached. "I'm hungry…"

"Bet you're wishing you ate that other half of your sandwich, huh?"

Cuddy hugged her stomach. "Yeah."

House turned over onto his side with a grunt. His strength was depleting and his Vicodin was running dangerously low. His leg started throbbing again, causing him to wince. Cuddy glanced over to ask him if he was okay when her eyes looked past him and widened in shock. House saw this expression and grew worried about it, even though it was starting to become a cliché with her. He turned his head around in the opposite direction and saw what she saw. There, on the horizon, was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. No, it wasn't the sun. They had enough time to marvel the evening sun and its beauty.

It was an island. It was a huge island, surrounded by a green velvety blanket of trees. Back where they were, it was very small, which is why it was overlooked. Cuddy hadn't looked out to sea in a while. There wasn't any point. This was a wonderful surprise that greeted her once she did start to look around again.

"Well whaddya know," House said, having to blink several times to have the distant island come in clearer. "And we're floating right towards it."

A permanent smile was splashed on Cuddy's face. Anything was better than laying on this door. Even if she had to lay in the bare sand, at least it was better than this!

They reached the island by sundown.

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**I'll try to post a new chapter every other day or so. Not having a social life really helps with the updates! I have other stories going at the moment, but this one will be my primary. Oh, and there WILL be smut in this story! Lots of Huddy action for your reading pleasure :)**


	5. Gift From The Gods

**As promised, here's the next chapter! For a story I thought I would lose interest in rather quickly, I'm totally loving it! I even rush home from work every night to work on it LOL. Even at work, I think of little perils I can put House and Cuddy through!**

**Thanks everyone for the reviews on the last chapter! You guys are soo great!**

**Enjoy :)**

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"Well, what do you think? How about a ceremonial quickie to christen the island?" House asked, helping Cuddy onto the surf.

"Don't think so," Cuddy said. Tears welled up in her eyes. She never realized how good it felt to step on dry land, or to be standing in general! She had been laying down or sitting up for an entire day, never coming to a complete stand. Her knees trembled a bit and she was sore all over, but still vowed to walk.

"It might help if you take off your heels," he said, glancing down to her feet as yet another wave lightly came into shore. He was surprised she didn't lose them at some point during or after the plane wreck. The strap around her ankle must've kept them securely attached to her feet.

"Right," Cuddy said, bending over to release the straps around her ankles. After that, and a small shake of the foot, the shoe easily came off. She grasped them by the straps and continued to walk with House. High-heels and sand don't mix.

"We should probably try to find water before we sleep. We can worry about a fire tomorrow," he said, having trouble balancing himself in the sand with his leg.

"Are you okay?" Cuddy asked, straightening him up for the second time after he had almost fallen. Maybe she should be helping him walk, not the other way around.

"It doesn't help when the damn sand is so slippery."

"I know, but at least we're on land. I've always wanted to sleep on a beach."

"Yeah, well I've always wanted to have sex on the beach. Care to give it a shot?"

Cuddy shook her head in disbelief. That was the second time he asked her in two minutes. Even after all this, and his leg acting up, he could still muster up sexual jokes.

"House, the only sex on the beach I would ever give you is the drink. Now walk with me. I can't support your weight and mine at the same time."

"Spoilsport," he murmured.

It got dark fast and they still needed to find water. Cuddy knew that on an island, the further inland she went, the more likely it was that she would find fresh water. She helped House sit under a mass of trees and put her heels back on so she could attempt to find water. There's no way she could go another night without any.

"Cuddy, you don't even know what's out there. There could be bears for all you know."

"Bears on a deserted island, House?" she said disbelievingly. "That's why it's called 'deserted.'"

"Yeah, and it's 'deserted' for a reason. Half the food here is probably poisonous and fresh water supply is fictional."

Cuddy grunted, slapping the strap to her heel in place. "Stop being pessimistic, House. I'm the one going out to look. Just sit there and enjoy the feeling of laying in the sand until I get back. Play with it. It'll make the time go by faster."

"What do you expect to find? A small river of fresh water that flows through here?"

"You better hope I do, otherwise we're dead."

"How are you going to carry it back with you if you do find some?"

Cuddy bit her lip in thought. She didn't think of that.

"I'll carry it in my mouth for you," she joked with a smile and turned around to leave.

"Don't go too far! You don't know what's out there," House called after her when Cuddy's footsteps became more and more distant the further she walked into the island and away from him. He wished he could've gone with her. With each passing minute, it got darker. House watched the sun set over the ocean in the distance. It felt odd not having Cuddy with him to watch the sun go down. She would always marvel over how beautiful the colors were. The colors the sun left behind were different each night. The first night, the sky was pink and purple. Tonight, it was light orange with a touch of yellow. That seemed like the normal colors in a sunset. House's fingers lightly grazed the surface of the sand, poking it in places. He was bored without Cuddy.

Suddenly, something fell on his head, scaring him half to death. He wasn't expecting that. Reaching over, he grabbed a rough, circular item and looked it over. It was a coconut. He frowned at it.

"That hurt, you know," he said to the tropical food.

------------

Cuddy didn't know what she was thinking when she agreed to walk into the middle of nowhere when she could hardly see two feet ahead of her. It was getting dark and the only thing that lit up her path were the stars above.

"You've been kind to me so far, don't let me down," Cuddy whispered to the stars, holding her hands out to the trees to balance herself on the rocky patches of dirt and roots that protruded through the ground. It was hard to walk with heels.

She gasped when her foot got wedged in between the ground and a root and lost her balance. She fell haphazardly onto a patch of hard ground and sharp roots, tearing the knees of her pants and probably the top layer of her skin as well.

"Fantastic," she muttered, coming to a stand and brushing off the front of her pants, as if it mattered. She felt the tears with her fingers. They were wide enough to fit two of her fingers through them. "My favorite pants, too." She sighed and threw her arms out, frustration quickly taking over, due to the lack of water in her system. "I need help." Tears came to her eyes, making her headache worse. She brought her arms back down by her sides and clenched her fists. "Okay, Lisa, calm down…just calm down and press forward. You're no good to anyone like this."

Cuddy watched her step carefully as she moved deeper inland. From what she saw coming ashore, this was a very big island. There's at least two miles of shore in diameter and over a mile of land mass in the center, resembling somewhat that of a mountain with rocks and trees. There was not much leveled ground the further Cuddy went inland; she clearly found that out. But there were many roots from various types of healthy and living trees. That could only mean one thing. They had to be getting their fresh water from somewhere other than the sky every other night. Even though tropical plants are designed to go without water for months at a time, the plants with the roots told Cuddy there were more than just tropical plants here.

"So if there are roots, there's water, right?" Cuddy asked aloud, pushing herself to move on. What drove Cuddy onward was the need for water. She didn't want to turn back now without finding any. "The water would be stored somewhere where the roots gathered…someplace that's not under the ground…Question is where?" she asked in a whisper, looking around. She hoped it wasn't where she was physically unable to go.

She needed water. She could barely think logically anymore and had the worst case of cottonmouth she ever experienced. Going back without water wasn't an option. Even if it was a drop, she was going to have it.

-------------

House wasn't sure about the correct time, but Cuddy had been gone for a while now. The only sounds he heard were the light winds rustling through the trees and the waves crashing onto the beach. He didn't hear any screaming or yelling from Cuddy. She definitely has a set of lungs on her, even without water, so the volume of her screams wouldn't be an issue, unless she couldn't scream. That would be a problem. He nonchalantly picked at the hairs of the coconut that fell on his head. He had shifted himself out of the way of the coconut path so he wouldn't get hit in the head with another one. Since he moved, two more had fallen from the tree and plopped beside him. House had never been a huge fan of coconuts, but at least tossing them from hand to hand like a ball had passed the time. He had gotten bored poking the sand.

Perhaps it passed too much time, because House didn't recognize right away that darkness had completely fallen upon the island. The way he realized this was him noticing that it got harder to see the coconut he was throwing up into the air. It was becoming a mere silhouette. He was tuned in to listen for Cuddy's footsteps breaking twigs and stepping on rocks as she came back to him. He didn't hear anything that resembled such noises in the past fifteen minutes or so.

What if Cuddy was hurt? Those heels of hers are an accident waiting to happen. She could've easily twisted her ankle out there.

Hero time! House hoisted himself up. It wasn't easy, now that he was almost out of Vicodin and his cane was gone, but he was able to come to a stand, virtually pain-free. The only thing that hurt on him was his head, thanks to the damn coconut. His limbs were weak, but he managed to push past that.

"Cuddy!" he called into the black nothing and listened for a response. She was crazy for wanting to go in there at this time of night!

When he didn't hear her, he pushed forward. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be walking in there. His leg hardly gave him any trouble. The light from the stars lit up the necessary path for him. It definitely didn't compare to the wonderful light the sun gave off, but it was better than nothing.

He shouted for her again, as loud as he could. His dry throat made him cough afterwards.

"House, I found water!" she yelled, not too far away from where he was.

He found himself limping faster to get to her. There better be some there for him!

"If you drank it all, I'm going to hurt you," he said, catching up to her.

He turned the corner and saw her bent down to the ground with her hands in what looked to be the largest streambed he had ever seen. There wasn't much water in it, probably because it hadn't rained in some time.

He didn't care if the water was safe or not, as long as it was wet and not saltwater. Since it came from the sky, he was pretty sure it was and since there appeared to be no animals around, the streambed wasn't polluted. It was here to serve the trees around it. No wonder the island looked like a green, velvet blanket from a distance. It has its own streambed!

Cuddy didn't waste any time sticking her face in and vainly inhaling the water so fast that she made herself choke.

House knelt beside her. "Take it easy, will you? It's not going anywhere."

House wanted to be doing the same thing she was. The twinkling fresh water looked too good to be true. If he found it first, he would automatically think it was his mind playing tricks on him and probably ignore it. Judging by Cuddy's gluttonous attempt to take it all for herself, this water was very real, and very enjoyable.

It wasn't long before House's face was in there, taking giant gulps to satisfy his dehydration. He never thought he would enjoy the feeling of a lukewarm liquid going down his throat. Cold water would've been better, but he wasn't complaining.

No one would ever believe this if he told them. Him and his boss, after sundown, drinking lukewarm water out of a streambed at an island in the heart of no man's land. It's a miracle they were even able to find a streambed like this! He wasn't sure if he believed this himself!

Minutes later, Cuddy sat back on her legs with a satisfied sigh. She also splashed her face at some point, for the top of her head glistened under the starlight.

"I feel like a million dollars," she said, tossing her head back with a sigh.

House was also finished. He couldn't mimic her position because of his leg, so he stood instead. He had to agree. Just like that, his headache was starting to go away and his body didn't feel so achy and tired. It's amazing what dehydration does to you. They weren't kidding when they say you can't survive more than three days without water.

"The streambed can't be anymore than twenty feet or so away from the beach. Where were you for the past fifteen minutes?"

Cuddy got to her feet, also feeling the relief of her headache and joint aches.

"Drinking," she said simply.

They left the streambed and headed back out to the beach, Cuddy behind House.

"Where are we going to sleep?" Cuddy asked, supporting House with her arm around his back once they were out there.

"You can sleep under the coconut tree, I'll take the beach."

He broke away from her and limped clumsily through the sand after retrieving the coconut that fell on his head earlier. He vowed that when this was over, he would never set foot into another batch of sand for as long as he lived. Walking on sand with a limp took skill.

Cuddy gasped when a coconut fell at her feet.

"Thanks a lot," she grumbled to House while he limped away. He set her up.

"It's a big island, I'm sure you can find someplace to call your own," he said, looking back at her over his shoulder.

Cuddy watched him walk away with confusion splashed on her face. He didn't want to sleep beside her? She understands that it was a necessity for the past night and this is a fairly huge island with many places to get away from one another, but Cuddy grew used to having him beside her. How nice of him to think of their closeness as a mere necessity. What did she expect?

"Fine," Cuddy said, snatching her white button-up shirt to use as a pillow and removed her shoes. "That's the last time I clue you in on a water supply."

She stepped out a little ways, not wanting to go too far from the trees. She watched House plop himself down about ten feet away from her and stretch out onto his back, tossing the coconut into the air. Still grumbling, she also plopped down and turned onto her side, away from him. She couldn't stand the sight of him. Tucking the shirt under her head, she wiggled her body to try to shift the sand so there weren't any lumps jutting into her side. Laying on the sand was better than laying on that stupid door for another night.

"Goodnight, Cuddy," House said, raising his voice slightly to reach her.

"Bastard," Cuddy mumbled, fixing the shirt under her head.

"Cuddy…goodnight," he repeated when she didn't respond back.

"Go to hell." She violently shifted her body to level down the one lump protruding in at her thigh that was getting on her nerves. House wasn't helping much either. Why didn't he want to sleep next to her?

"Gooodniiiightt Cudddyyy," he drew out slowly, raising his voice louder.

"House, shut up!" she yelled back. It was easier to yell now that her throat wasn't dry.

"Whoa…what's your problem? You found water and you're still bitchy. Isn't anything ever good enough for you?"

"You don't even know what you're talking about!" she said, turning her head in his direction, but only seeing an outline of him laying on his back.

"So then clue me in!"

Cuddy turned her head back around to the original position and forced her eyes shut. "Go to sleep."

Cuddy had to admit that she missed his warmth. Last night was the best night's sleep she had gotten in a long time. Being in House's embrace, listening to the calm beating of his heart. She hated it that the only reason it happened was because they had no choice but to be together. And they had to keep warm somehow. Tonight, it wasn't that cold, but Cuddy still missed the bodily contact she had with House.

And that kiss…Cuddy screwed her eyes shut tighter, trying to will her mind to think of anything but the kiss. God…he was so good! He knew just how to put the right amount of urgency into the kiss without it being too overbearing or too weak. It was enough to get Cuddy's mind off one of the scariest moments of her life. The fear she felt when that shark circled them was a fear she never knew existed inside her. It was more frightening than jumping from the airplane and somehow, with one simple kiss, he melted her fear into nothing. Cuddy knew it was essentially because she wanted it. She would lay awake at night in bed wondering what it would be like to be involved with the infamous Gregory House. Pushing past the fact that he would give her headaches on a daily basis and drive her absolutely crazy if they were seeing each other and he expected a free pass to do whatever he wanted with his patients and a year off clinic duty because he was banging the boss. He would never be able to open up to her. It would be very frustrating being with someone like that.

On the other hand, Cuddy wouldn't have to question the love he feels for her. House can't open up, but that doesn't mean he can't love. Stacy is living proof of that. Cuddy remembered being in the room just before he had the surgery on his leg. He told Stacy he loved her. It wasn't just a show either. He loved her then and probably still does to this day. When she worked as a lawyer at the hospital, he would purposely get punched by patient's relatives, just so he had an excuse to go see her. Cuddy felt a twinge of jealousy then and still does now. She was cold to Stacy in her last few months at the hospital and wasn't quite sure why. She never would've thought it was because she was slowly starting to fall for House. She might never be able to fill the void in his heart that Stacy left behind when they split up. If Stacy were here now instead of her, even if they were split up, they would be cuddling together on the beach, talking until the sun came up.

Cuddy gnawed on her lower lip to the point where it hurt. What did she expect? She's not another Stacy; she's his boss. That's probably all he sees her as. He'll protect her for as long as he can, only because he knows if she's replaced at the hospital, he couldn't get away with half as much as he does.

"Hey," House said, towering over her.

Cuddy gasped and turned so violently that she cried out in pain when she twisted her body where the bruise on her other side was still tender.

"What do you want?" she asked, gently rubbing her hip and the area around it.

"Why are you mad at me?"

Cuddy scoffed. "Like you care if I'm mad at you. Just put it in the back of your mind with everything else I've ever said to you."

"Is it because I'm making you sleep alone?" This would almost be a normal conversation if he didn't sound so damn sarcastic all the time! He was definitely mocking her with a whiny tone.

"No," she spat, turning back over onto her side and shutting her eyes. "Go away."

"It is, isn't it? You've grown attached to my illustrious and tempting body, haven't you?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"I don't have to flatter myself; you do that for me. What is it? It's my mad skills that drive you wild, isn't it? Or maybe it's the eyes. The chicks dig the eyes. It's what helps me get laid."

"House, go away!" Cuddy yelled. Good thing they were on their own island. There weren't any neighbors to bother. The only downside is that she couldn't get away from him!

"I'm not going away until you tell me what's wrong with you. Besides being bitchy."

"I'm tired and we're in an unfamiliar area! Are those good enough reasons?" She looked up at him again. She could see him much clearer now that he wasn't ten feet away. Even though he was looking down at her, his eyes sparkled in the starlight. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed on a man. The way the stars made him glow. It made him irresistible.

'Remember Lisa, you're mad at him,' her mind told her.

"No, it's not, because it's not true," he said, sitting down next to her with a soft grunt. Cuddy followed him with her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Sitting."

"Why are you sitting?"

"Because my leg was starting to hurt."

"House, I'm serious."

"So am I!"

Cuddy sighed. "Whatever. Sit there and watch me sleep, I don't care." She turned away from him again and shut her eyes. She felt better now that he was near her, although she would never tell him that. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing.

Sleep was coming to her quicker.

She felt him run his fingers through her hair and fell into complete tranquility. Since they last spoke, House stretched out behind her and continued to put her at ease until she was just seconds away from falling asleep. Sleep sounded good right now. He rested his head on his arm while his other hand went from Cuddy's hair, down her arm, and around her waist. He drew himself closer to her to the point where they were almost spooning, but still kept some distance.

"Cuddy…" House said, using perhaps the smallest voice he had.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks…for saving my life."

The corners of Cuddy's mouth drew up into a small smile. Even though she was seconds away from sleep, that was the sweetest thing she's ever heard him say. She had to wonder just how hard it was for him to say that. "Anytime," she responded in a low whisper before falling asleep.

--------------

Cameron didn't sleep a wink last night. She kept glancing to her cell phone, hoping it would ring with good news on the other line. It never did. In fact, it didn't ring at all until she had just gotten out of her car and walked the length of the parking lot to get to the front entrance to the hospital.

"Where are you?" It was Wilson and he sounded anxious.

"Just coming in now, why?" Cameron asked with worry. "Did you hear from House?"

"Come to my office when you get upstairs."

Cameron hung up and quickened her pace, automatically thinking the worst. Wilson sounded in a way she never heard before.

When she arrived up at Wilson's office, Chase and Foreman were already there and they didn't look happy. They didn't look angry either. Chase looked as if he was about to cry at the drop of a hat and Foreman looked upset. That answered part of Cameron's question.

"What happened?" Cameron asked Wilson, who sat behind his desk, wearing the same look as Chase.

"Shut the door," he said and waved her in the room.

"Are House and Cuddy okay?" Her pulse quickened. She could fee the blood rush to her temples.

Wilson swallowed hard. "Their plane never made it to Narita International in Japan."

Cameron's mouth dropped. "So what does that mean? How do you know it never made it there?!"

"Koshidi's assistant called me this morning. I told him to call me back yesterday if he got in touch with House or Cuddy. He informed me that flight 171 from LAX never arrived. The airport, as well as LAX, received an SOS call through a fuzzy radio signal and they think it was from that flight." Wilson took a breath. "If so…the plane crashed into the Pacific two days ago."

It pained him to say that as much as it pained Chase and Foreman to hear it again and for Cameron to hear it even once.

Tears welled up in Cameron's eyes. "S-So you're saying House and Cuddy could be dead?" she asked and then looked at Foreman and Chase.

"The survival rate for someone adrift at sea is very slim, especially without water or proper flotation devices. If they are floating out there somewhere…they have a day at the most left to live."

Cameron shook her head. "It's not possible. I don't believe it. House would never allow himself to succumb to dying in that manner. He would hold on for days, just to spite the odds!" Cameron cried, tears falling from her eyes. "Is anyone looking for them?!"

"They've had rescue teams from Hawaii and Japan flying to where they think the crash site is ever since the plane went missing. So far, they've found nothing."

"How long will the search teams continue?" Cameron asked, pacing back and forth. She couldn't keep still.

"He said he would connect me to both the LAPD and Hawaii's rescue team. When I talked to them either, both of their answers were the same. If they don't find anything by tomorrow, they'll stop the searches."

Cameron shook her head. "I know he's out there and he's just so damn stubborn that Cuddy has to be with him, too. They're not dead. House will hold on."

"Easier said than done, Cameron," Wilson said. "His ego can only bring him so far without the necessities of life."

She would've said something to follow, but Wilson's phone ringing interrupted her. He answered it quickly. The conversation wasn't long at all. Wilson hung up about ten seconds later.

"That was…someone from the LAPD involved in this. He said that the rescue team from Hawaii found the crash site no more than a hundred miles away from them."

"How do they know?" Cameron asked, eyes wide.

"Parts from the airplane were found adrift. If House and Cuddy are still out there…hopefully they'll be found in the extra day they'll allow the rescue team to be flying around."

"Cameron, relax," Chase said, watching her pace the same stretch of carpet now for the eightieth time.

Cameron chuckled, but no humor came from it. "Relax, he says," she said, continuing to pace. "House could be dead and you tell me to relax?!"

"How do we know this isn't a mistake?" Foreman asked. "They could easily have the wrong flight and House and Cuddy are stranded somewhere else. Or knowing House, he's doing this just to get us going."

"Are you kidding me?!" Cameron exclaimed. "House is a major ass on multiple occasions, but he would never do something like this as a joke! Cuddy's with him and she wouldn't let him."

"Guys, enough," Wilson said in a surprisingly calm voice. "This is not a joke. Believe me, I'd much rather this be a joke than real."

Cameron sat in the nearest empty seat, as if in a trance. Her eyes stared at a random point in front of her. Now that it went through her mind that this wasn't just another one of House's pranks and that it was an actual serious event, she didn't know what to feel. She didn't cry and she didn't panic. She felt numb.

"Cameron…are you okay?" Foreman asked, wondering why there was such a decline in her actions.

Cameron already had someone she loved very much die prematurely on her. She had no idea how she survived that while staying sane. She couldn't take it if someone else she cares deeply for died also.

Cameron's mind moved at the speed of light, imagining the plane crashing into the water. The bottom of her stomach fell. She had to stand to fight the nausea. On that flight was a very intelligent doctor, one who could diagnose someone without even meeting them, and there he was, powerless to do anything to save his own life as tons of water constricts the plane, crushing it like it's a mere piece of tinfoil.

"Oh…god…" Cameron murmured, barely moving her mouth.

Chase and Foreman rushed to her side when she collapsed to the ground.

---------------

**Okay so that's probably too extreme for Cameron, but judging on how emotional she is when she loses patients, it's possible she would collapse if she thought she lost House! In any case, the next chapter is just about done and will be up soon. Thanks again everyone! Oh, don't forget to review! :)**


	6. Not Giving Up

**Hey, everyone! I think I might be a bit early on the updating schedule, but the chapter was done, so here it is! **

**Thanks for the reviews for the past chapter! And for those of you who are just reading and not reviewing, thanks for that, too! I have over two hundred people who are set up for story alerts on this, so I'm pleased you all like it! **

**And just a response to an anonymous review I got, just because I'm a Huddy fan doesn't mean I'm not a Cameron fan, too! I just wanted to have some fun with the fact that she still loves House, even though she says she doesn't, but anyway, onto the story!**

**Enjoy :)**

----------

"Up and at em!"

Cuddy awoke to House's loud voice filling her ears. It wasn't a pleasant wake up call either. She felt herself cringing before she had the chance to open her eyes.

"I got us breakfast."

"If it's not omelets and coffee, you can take it back," Cuddy grumbled, opening her eyes to a pile of sand in her face. She was still turned away from him. She didn't realize how hungry she was until he mentioned the word breakfast.

"It's better!" He dropped an entire pile of bananas at her feet.

Cuddy partially sat up, wiping the sand off her face and mouth. She cringed when she saw his version of breakfast. "How is that better than coffee and omelets?" she asked, glaring at the fruit.

"Hey, it's breakfast in a pinch," he said, ripping one off. "Can't get the coconuts open, though."

"I hate coconuts," Cuddy mumbled, reaching out to yank off a banana of her own.

"The hard shells might be good for water transport so we don't have to keep walking up to the streambed. When it ever does rain, it's going to be ugly trying to plod up there in the mud."

Cuddy halted peeling the banana and looked up at him. "You have everything all figured out, don't you, Caruso?" she asked.

House shrugged, taking a large bite of his banana. "It's not too hard to figure out."

"Then how do we build a fire? We're going to need one, right?" She took a bite of the banana, wishing it was an omelet instead.

"Rub two sticks together," he said simply, and with his mouth full.

Cuddy chuckled. "It's a little more complicated than that." She stood, brushing the sand off her. "I have to go to the bathroom. DON'T peek at me like you tried to do last night," she added, pointing at him.

House held his hands up in his defense. "I didn't try to peek at you last night! Besides, how can I see anything when it was dark out?! I'm not _that_ good."

Cuddy sent a smile back his way when she walked off towards the trees. "You'd find a way."

House watched her from where he stood, peeling another banana to eat in the meantime.

"Just pick a spot already!" he yelled up at her, watching her move in circles, like a dog that doesn't know if it wants that spot to do its business or not.

Cuddy's head poked up from a mass of greenery some feet away once she did find a spot she liked. "House, stop looking!"

He couldn't see anything, for she was surrounded by trees and tall tropical weeds. He told her that and her head ducked down again.

"Gee, Cuddy, sounds like Niagara Falls up there!" he shouted a moment later, making his timing perfect.

"You can't even hear anything!" she shouted back.

"Wanna bet?" He finished his second banana and tossed the peel into the sand. "Make sure you wipe good! You're living in those clothes now; you don't want them to be all dirty!"

Cuddy stood up and came out from behind the weeds, glaring at him as she made her way back down to the beach. "I can't even pee in peace without you looking over my shoulder."

"Just think of us as a married couple. We get to see everything," he said simply, finishing another banana.

"How many of those did you eat?" she asked.

"Just now or earlier when I was bringing them over?"

"Don't eat them all! We need to save them!" she yelled in a motherly type voice.

"Loosen up, Cuddy, there are thousands of bananas around here."

"Well, that's all we can eat, so don't go crazy," she murmured. "We don't know how long we'll be here. Nice stick, by the way," she added, jutting her chin to a walking stick that House was holding in his free hand.

He looked it over. "This stick?" he asked with a clueless frown.

"Well, yeah, what other stick would I—Oh, god, don't go there." Figures he'd think of a double meaning for the word.

"Hey, you started it."

"That's not what I meant!" She pointed to the stick. "_That's_ what I meant!"

House laughed. "You sound so insulted, Cuddy. Relax."

"Relax," Cuddy whispered. "Right. Easier said than done." She started picking at the hem of her pants at the back.

House frowned. "What are you doing?" he asked, eyeing her midsection.

"My skin itches. I think I have a rash from the salt behind the hem."

"Let me look," he said, tossing another banana peel into the sand and limping over to her.

"In your dreams," she said, feeling the bumpy area with her fingertips along her lower back.

House motioned for her to come closer to him with his hands. "Come on, I won't peek down there."

"You always say that."

"Just turn around," he said, tone of voice getting huffy. "God, woman." He spun her around by the arm when she wouldn't comply. "You make my life so difficult."

He lifted up her shirt from the back and traced his fingertip across a bumpy patch of skin near the lining of her pants. Cuddy's breath caught in her throat when he touched her. He was so gentle.

"Yep, it's just as I suspected," he said, snapping her out of her reverie.

"What?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"The pants have to come off."

Cuddy's eyes widened. "For what?!" she asked in surprise, spinning around to face him.

"So your rash can heel. If you keep your pants on, the lining will brush up against it, irritating it further."

Cuddy chuckled. "I am NOT taking my pants off. I'll deal with the rash," she said, itching it more. This time, she was itching at her stomach as well.

House shrugged. "Okay, have it your way. Don't be bothering me when you can't sleep at night because you're too busy itching."

Cuddy couldn't stop. If she did, two seconds later it would start to itch again.

"I'm wearing a thong," she said in a small voice.

House shrugged again. "The shirt you're wearing now is long enough to cover you."

"Not all the way!"

"Who cares? I won't look."

Cuddy spat out a laugh. "Yeah, right. You check out my ass on a daily basis WITH clothes on. You mean to tell me you won't look when I'm traipsing around in a thong?"

House's facial response made him look dumb. "Come on, Cuddy, I wouldn't do that to you!"

Cuddy shook her head quickly. "Out of the question."

"Take them off, or I'll take them off for you." His face was serious, as well as his tone.

Cuddy's cheeks fell hot. She had a dream one time where he took her pants off, but that was under completely different circumstance! Whether he was telling her to remove them now for her own good or not, she knew his eyes had other plans.

"What are you going to do? Pounce on me to get them off?" she asked, head tilted in doubt.

"Are you that afraid to show me your ass? Now look who's flattering themselves."

Cuddy's jaw dropped. "It's not flattery! It's called modesty and I have every right to want to keep my pants on in front of you. No matter what you do, you'll never get them off."

That sounded like a taunt. House accepted it as a taunt and stepped closer.

"Really?"

Cuddy found her body stiffening the closer he came to her. She followed him with her eyes. She couldn't move.

"What if I…do this?" he asked, barely moving his mouth, eyes still sealed to hers as his hands dropped to the button of her pants.

Cuddy held her breath. House brought his face closer to hers. She swore he was about to kiss her again, but under what circumstances this time? Last time, he kissed her because he had to. There's no way he wanted to now. This was merely to distract her so he could remove her pants.

But he didn't kiss her. His head stopped too far away for their lips to connect. Cuddy was so focused on him that she didn't feel her pants being unbuttoned. She also hardly took notice in his fingers hooking around the hem of her pants at both sides to draw them down. She was too busy staring back into his eyes. House smirked. He knew he had Cuddy wrapped around his finger, factually and allegorically. She didn't know he was successful until she felt a hand slap on her bare left cheek to mark his triumph. Cuddy bounced backwards with a gasp. Before she knew it, her pants were halfway down her legs.

"House!" she cried, pulling her pants back up, her cheeks on fire.

"You're so easy to manipulate," he said, drawing himself back and watching her collect herself. "That was too simple."

"You think you can always distract me with a kiss?" she asked, pulling her pants back up and buttoning them.

"I can even distract you with the _attempt_ of a kiss. It works very well. Why is that? I had no idea you found my good looks so—"

"House," she interrupted in a warning voice. "Enough. Get over it."

Cuddy hoped he would for her sake. If her cheeks burned any further, they would burn right off her face. She didn't know why he paralyzed her every time he invaded even an inch of her personal space. It was one of those things that just happened. Ever since the kiss, she's become more susceptible to his closeness.

"What the hell are you so scared about? I've been near you before. If I can remember right, it was even _nearer_ than that."

"That was twenty years ago and it was a one-night stand. I can't even remember what happened." She held her hand up, shutting him up before he could open his mouth. She knew him too well. He was about to feed off her sentence with something smart-alecky. "I don't want to hear it."

"Wasn't gonna say anything! You're too insecure."

Good. Cuddy let the conversation drop and grabbed at another banana. She was thinking about going back to the streambed and getting more water when she noticed his stare piercing right through her. It made her feel uncomfortable. It's as if he had x-ray vision and he was marveling at what he saw underneath her clothing.

"What?" she asked.

"You don't remember what happened?"

Cuddy scoffed and walked away from him, tossing the banana down. Now would be a good time to go get the water. It gave her an excuse to get away from him.

"How could you not remember?!" he called after her.

She didn't bother saying anything back. It was a lie. She remembered everything about that one night. He was like the high school heartthrob that everyone had to have. He was smart, extremely handsome, and popular, whether he liked it or not. Lisa Cuddy was one of the few women who marveled him from day to day. He didn't necessarily have a different woman hanging off his arm every day, but that didn't stop the women from throwing themselves at him. House went to school dances and parties, but mainly sat at the sidelines fuming, much like he does now, like someone was forcing him to be there. He didn't do much.

Cuddy was sitting with her girlfriends at a table. All of them swooned over House, acting like he was the only man there. Cuddy didn't complain. She, too, was staring. And he was looking back, despite the girls who were over there, talking to him.

"Lisa, I dare you to go talk to him," Cuddy remembers one of her friends at the time saying.

Cuddy even remembers the feeling she had when her friend dared her to talk to him. Her entire body felt tingly. She'll never forget it.

"He's totally checking you out!" her other friend said and hit her on the arm.

Cuddy scoffed at her. "He's only after one thing."

"So then give it to him!"

Her friend was right. Since Cuddy didn't really know House and House didn't know her, it was easy to have a one-night stand with no strings attached. She approached him that night. During the party, they left for his dorm room and had uncomplicated sex almost the entire night. They were just two people fulfilling a need. Cuddy completely forgot about House after he graduated and left. Some years down the road, she becomes this hotshot Dean of Medicine while House is fired from every hospital he works at. Ever since he started working for her, the memories of them two together floods back into her mind and stayed there ever since. What she thought had vanished years before that had come back.

But House had Stacy at the time. Cuddy had to suppress her feelings. She even had to hear House say he loved this woman. That was hard.

And then he continues to make her life a living hell, which helps her feelings for him back down. To top it all off, they get stuck together on an island. Cuddy did enjoy being with him and would enjoy it more if he wasn't such an ass all the time!

Cuddy arrived at the streambed for the first time that morning. There was far less water today than there was last night. The water was almost down to the bottom of the streambed. If it didn't rain any time soon, the bed would definitely be dried up by tonight.

Cuddy knelt down and drank as much water as she could without feeling sick. The water definitely changed in temperature since last night. It was a temperature up from lukewarm, which made it almost dissatisfying. She grimaced as the warm liquid traveled down her throat, but if it made her stay alive, she would continue to drink it. She never realized how much she missed ice cubes.

When Cuddy got back to the beach, she noticed House tossing a coconut into the air and then catching it, much like he does with his oversized tennis ball back in his office when he's thinking.

"You know what I just realized?" House asked when Cuddy was no more than three feet away from him. He had his back turned towards her and she didn't make a sound coming towards him. It's a wonder how he knew she was there.

"What?" she asked, playing along.

"There hasn't been a single bird flying overhead since we arrived here," he said, looking up to the sky, squinting slightly from the sun.

"So?"

"That means we are nowhere near land that does have birds on it, meaning we're too far from people, meaning—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get your point," Cuddy said, holding up her hand to stop him. "Just another subtle way of telling us we're screwed. We need to start a rescue fire."

House looked at her, as if that was the stupidest thing she ever said. "Even more than there aren't birds, there aren't rescue planes. If birds don't come this way, planes won't either."

Cuddy felt a pang of disappointment flow through her veins as what little hope she had was destroyed by House in that one moment. "Stop being so cynical," she muttered. "You know how to start a fire, right? You seem to be well versed in everything else, including how to safely jump from a plane a mile up in the sky. Besides, eating bananas is going to get old very fast. We should cook fish or something."

"Bananas are the only things on this island we know are safe. Unless you want to eat bugs."

Cuddy shuddered. "I refuse to eat bugs. Why aren't the fish safe?"

House continued to toss the coconut into the air. "Tropical fish, such as fish that have thorns, puff themselves up for protection, and something else I can't remember, those are all I've seen so far and those are not safe to eat. You can give it a shot though if you want. Good luck trying to catch one."

Cuddy's stomach started growling again. Hunger pains struck her good this time.

She recoiled slightly. "At this point I'll eat anything."

"Bananas are up by the coconut trees," he said nonchalantly.

"No bananas!" Cuddy said. "What about crabs?"

"Saw a couple of those scurrying down on the shoreline," he said, jutting his chin forward and chuckled. "Fast little guys they are."

"Wonderful," Cuddy muttered, putting her fists to her hips. "So, since you don't want to eat, or start a fire, what _do_ you want to do?"

House hummed in thought and eyed her.

"_Besides_ that," she added in, knowing him too well.

House frowned at her. "That's not what I was thinking. Let's go exploring."

"Exploring?" It was Cuddy's turn to frown.

"Yeah, you know…walking around, looking at stuff—"

"I know what exploring is, thank you."

"Maybe we can find a cave so we don't have to sleep on the beach."

A barefoot Cuddy lead the way. "I like the beach."

"You won't like it when we get our first storm of wind and rain. Ever see _Cast Away_? That guy had some brutal storms. Luckily, he found a cave."

"That's a _movie_, House, this is real life. There aren't caves just because you want there to be one."

"There was a streambed because you wanted there to be one, right?"

"That was just a coincidence."

"Pretty big coincidence, isn't it? It's not often you see a streambed on an island."

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him. "Are you saying it's not a coincidence and that it was put there?"

House shrugged. "I'm saying that maybe we're not alone on the island."

Cuddy felt a twinge of worry. She paused before speaking. "You think someone's here with us?"

"No…I think it's us that's here with someone."

"What's the difference?"

"They were here first."

"There's no one here."

"How do you know? They could be…" He gasped dramatically, "hiding in a cave somewhere." He looked around with wide eyes. "Where could that be?"

"Okay, House, can you stop being such an ass and try to be serious for once with given our current status? I don't know about you, but I'm scared out here."

House scoffed. "You're always scared. I thrive on adventure."

"Even adventure where there's a possibility that there might be no coming back from?" Cuddy hated to say that. Even though self-sanguinity kept her going, it wasn't hard to fall reproachful every now and then.

House didn't look daunted one bit. It's as if he knew there was help coming right around the corner and didn't clue her in on it. He nodded. "Exactly."

"We need to start a rescue fire," she repeated, knowing it was a lost cause. He already told her he didn't want to, but not in so many words.

"We need to find a cave."

"There are no caves, House!" she yelled ahead to him as he limped away from her.

She refused to go with him. She spun around and headed back up to the area where she slept the night before. She used that spot as her temporary domestic dwelling until help came. She still had hope that there would be someone flying in on the horizon, or coming to them by boat. Unlike House, who treated this like a vacation rather than an accident.

Cuddy sat in the sand, bringing her knees up to her chin. She watched as House disappeared around the corner, behind large rocks and trees. At least with him gone it gave her a chance to think. Would she ever make it off this island? Would she ever see her home, her hospital, or anything from civilization again? Do the people at home know what happened? If they did, how were they reacting? It's been nearly three days now. How was Wilson taking it? Pretty hard, probably. He'd be in denial for a good chunk of the time. What about House's lackeys? Cameron would miss him the most. She's probably organizing a search of her own just to find him. Chase and Foreman…they would be a little saddened at first, but would open up nicely to a new boss that treated them with respect.

And who would fill the Dean of Medicine slot? That's not really an easy job to fill. Cuddy hated the idea of someone waltzing in and taking over her hospital, especially when she was alive and well out there in the world, stuck with House no less.

Cuddy missed it back home. She missed the mounds of paperwork that would pile up daily on her desk. She even missed House coming into her office and making absurd diagnoses just to see what her response would be. It's funny the things you miss when you realize you may never get to experience them again.

Of course, House could always come to her now and make lame diagnoses if he was really that bored. She'd probably listen. She's been away from work for so long that she'd probably listen to anything idiotic House had to say, as long as it involved the hospital and not the determination to find a cave.

Cuddy didn't realize she was crying until the first tear fell onto her bare knee, past the rips she acquired from yesterday's water search.

"Please let someone find us out here," she said. She remembered House's words when he said that no birds meant there wasn't any mainland around them. During the past few days out here, not a single helicopter was heard, or anything that sounded remotely close to one. What were their chances in getting off this island alive? Was the great Dr. Gregory House and Dr. Lisa Cuddy destined to die on a deserted island of all places? Was life really that cruel? Cuddy never sat around and randomly wondered how she would die, but if she did, dying on an island wouldn't be her first choice!

Cuddy quickly dried her tears after a round of feeling sorry for herself. She didn't want House to come back and pick on her for being so weak.

"Hey, Cuddy, I found a cave!" House yelled. His voice carried well, bouncing off the rocks. Cuddy poked her head up and couldn't see him anywhere.

First, there was a streambed, and then there was a cave. It really did seem too coincidental. Was this island not so deserted after all?

----------------

Cameron awoke to a hand over her forehead. She had to blink several times to wade away the blurriness. When she did, she frowned at the intensity of the florescent lighting above her.

"She's coming out of it," Chase said, removing his hand from her forehead. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" Cameron asked with a small groan and supported her upper half on her elbows.

"You fainted," Foreman said, checking her pupils with his penlight. They were responsive.

Cameron took a deep breath after that. "I…House…Is he really missing?"

"Afraid so," Foreman said, helping her sit up.

The further Cameron sat up, the dizzier she felt. She slapped her hand to her forehead with a groan. "I don't feel so good."

"Just try and relax, okay?" Foreman backed off when she was able to sit without help.

"You would never faint for me," Chase said bitterly, feeling a whole world full of jealousy that Cameron was still attached to House. Her actions clearly said so.

"Chase, this is clearly not the time," Cameron scolded, followed by a small wince. "Did I hit my head or something?"

"Do you feel something other than dizziness?" Foreman asked with concern.

Cameron pressed in just above her right eyebrow. "It feels like I've been hit with something."

Chase grunted. "It's probably where House was struck."

All eyes went to him, including Wilson, who was also by Cameron's side.

"What?" he asked, not liking the harshness of their eyes. "It can happen."

"It can happen, but we don't want to hear about it," Wilson reproached.

Chase admired House, but because of the way Cameron was acting towards him, he could care less if he was alive or not. A funny taste formed at the back of his throat. Cameron didn't admit to loving him, but she'll admit to loving a man that would never reciprocate those feelings. House would never look at her as anything other than a nice piece of art to hang in the lobby, and yet, she still loves him. All because he's damaged.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stormed out of Wilson's office. A moment later, a researcher from oncology stormed into his office, completely blanched.

"Have you guys seen the news?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Is it about House?" Wilson asked as Foreman helped Cameron to her feet.

"It's all over the place!"

They hurried to the lounge, as well as everyone else on the floor. They all piled in just as the large, high definition TV was being turned up as loud as it could to accommodate everyone in the room.

An American newscaster was flying in a plane above what Wilson, Foreman, and Cameron knew to be the Pacific Ocean. The water below the helicopter he was flying in was so beautiful. It's hard to think that something like that could swallow an airliner and take all those innocent people down with it.

The others in the lounge had no idea what happened to House and Cuddy until now. Wilson never told anyone and he did wish it was kept quiet until he found out more about the rescue attempts.

"_We are flying for the third time out here with every attempt to find survivors of the lost flight 171 out of LAX three days ago, bound for Japan. Among the passengers were world-renowned diagnostician Dr. Gregory House and Dr. Lisa Cuddy from Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. We have found evidence that the plane went down around a hundred miles north of Hawaii, but have found no survivors so far. Attempts to recover the plane and its entirety from the bottom of the ocean is set to be in motion later this afternoon."_

He continued, but hardly anyone was listening. They were too busy either whispering amongst themselves, or finding the need to hurry out of there, not believing that someone like that could happen to their boss.

Wilson, Foreman, and Cameron stepped out of there as well. Cameron couldn't stomach anymore.

"How did their names get on there?" Cameron asked.

"They must've gotten the roster from LAX," Wilson said. "Will, the LAPD chief, said that the names of all the passengers would be mentioned at some point on the news."

"I don't think they had a right to mention House and Cuddy," Cameron said, feeling her stomach knot up.

"What did they mean when they said they were going to exhume the crash?" Foreman asked.

"I think it's a good idea," Wilson admitted. "That way they can see whose missing and who isn't if they have the roster at the airport."

Cameron nodded. "So if House and Cuddy are missing from the plane when they find it at the bottom of the ocean, it's likely that they're alive somewhere, right?" she asked, still keeping a little hope inside when everyone around her has accepted the fact that House and Cuddy were dead and wondered what they were going to do for management. That was half the reason why Cameron's stomach knotted up.

"Hopefully. We can only hope."

-----------------

**Wilson will be playing a major role in the rescue of House and Cuddy (assuming they DO get rescued in time) Cameron and Foreman might also, but definitely Wilson. Oh, and in the next chapter, there will be smut! I am working on it as I speak, so it's a definite. It will be well worth the wait! Thanks for reading! :) Review, too, pretty please! If I get a sufficient amount of reviews today, the next chapter will be up tomorrow! (normally I don't barter, but reviews are my world!)**


	7. Crossroads

**Thanks everyone for the reviews! We are officially heading to the M rated section, because as promised, here's the next chapter with the SMUT and it's also a very _long_ chapter at that as an added bonus!**

**Enjoy :)**

---------------

"You call this a cave?" Cuddy asked, voice easily echoing against the rocks inside the small hole.

It was a mock cave that was formed by erosion and didn't look at all like someone's dwelling. The ground, however, was smooth, just in case they did need to sleep in there. It was no more than fifteen feet in length and Cuddy could barely stand up in it. She had to angle her head in a weird position and House had to hunch his upper back over completely. With his leg, it wasn't easy. It was also a good thing neither of them were claustrophobic.

House begun to question the worthiness of the cave when he actually got the chance to look around. He turned his nose up at it. "Okay, so maybe it's not a bear cave or anything huge like that, but at least it'll shelter us from the rain that will be happening in about five seconds."

A sudden clap of thunder was heard in the distance.

Cuddy's eyes went wide. "How did you know that?"

House shrugged. "Saw the clouds before I found the cave?" he offered.

Cuddy didn't care how he knew. She was just glad it finally started raining. She immediately stuck her head out just as it started to pour. Instead of ducking back in, she left the cave completely. The cool rain felt amazing against her dried up body and felt exceptionally amazing as she caught some in her mouth.

House limped out of the cave and joined her. Luckily, the entrance to the cave in the rocks was on the beach, so it would be easy to get in and out.

Cuddy was drenched in a matter of seconds. However, that didn't stop her from looking up at the sky and watching the rain fall on her. She missed the smell of rain. It was a great switch from the shoddy smell of the saltwater.

"At least now we know the streambed will be full when we go get water." House had to talk a little louder for his voice to carry over the sound of the huge raindrops falling on the things around them. The trees with the bigger leaves made the most noise when the rain fell on them, creating almost a clapping sort of sound.

The waves on the beach crashed harder than normal. The seas were rougher than usual also. It could almost be beautiful if it weren't for their situation.

"You okay?" House asked Cuddy when the smile disappeared from her face and her shoulders slouched. He gently placed his hand to her lower back.

She nodded, water dripping from every facial feature as she looked up at him, blue eyes colder than normal.

"Good," he said simply and limped away from her.

"Where are you going?" she asked, following him.

House pointed to the sky. "Judging by the slowness of the clouds, we're in for one hell of a storm, so I think we should start breaking open coconuts and using the inside shells as cups for our water."

The sand while it was wet made it easier for House to walk across with his mock cane.

"That sounds like a great idea, House, but how do we get them open? And it's raining too crazy right now to find something to open them with! Even my underwear is soaked."

"Too much information," House said.

"Sorry," Cuddy apologized.

"I like it!" he added flippantly, winking his eyebrows at her. "Because that means you'll have to take them off to dry them."

He eyed her hungrily.

"I don't think so. They will stay on me while they dry, pervert."

He looked almost disappointed. "Okay, fine, but when you come down with a severe case of hypothermia, don't blame me because I was the one who told you to strip."

Cuddy laughed as they walked on.

"Where's Harry?" he suddenly asked aloud, looking around while on the beach, shielding his eyes from the rain.

Cuddy frowned immediately. "Who's Harry?"

"My coconut. Keep up, will you?"

"You named a coconut Harry?" Cuddy questioned, frown remaining. Can he get any weirder right now?

House leaned over and picked up the coconut that fell on his head the night before. "Not just _any_ coconut, Cuddy, _thee _coconut," he said, exposing just another ordinary coconut to Cuddy as if he were a three year old that just got the present he's always wanted for his birthday.

Cuddy didn't get it. "So when it fell on your head, you got a revelation of some kind?" she questioned, not quite sure why he was so attached to the coconut.

"Maybe. And besides, the guy from _Cast Away_ named his volleyball, so why can't I name a coconut?"

"As I so pleasantly reminded you before, House, _Cast Away_ is a _movie_. It wasn't real."

"But the events are real to us now, so how about you shut up and learn a thing or two from that MOVIE." He set 'Harry' underneath a tree when they stepped off the beach. "By the way, I know what coconut Harry is, so if he's moved, I'm blaming you," he accused.

"I'm not going to touch your coconut, House. How do you plan to get the other ones that aren't called Harry open?" Cuddy asked when they found shelter from the rain underneath a tropical tree with huge wax-type leaves. Since lightning didn't come with the thunder, it was safe enough to stand under it.

"Slam them up against a tree, how else?" he said, picking up a coconut to try to do it.

"That won't work," Cuddy said, bunching up the end of her shirt and squeezing the excess water out of it. "The shell is too hard."

"Well…I could step on it if the tree idea doesn't suit you."

Cuddy laughed quietly. That would be amusing. "You can try, but I wouldn't recommend it if you plan on walking on it again. Get a rock with a sharp edge and start there."

House shrugged. "Whatever. Know where I can find one of those?"

Cuddy thumbed to the path that they take when they want to go to the streambed. "That way."

If only they knew how impossible it was to climb up to the streambed, they would never have attempted it, just to find a rock with a sharp enough edge to dig through coconuts.

The path to the streambed was much more unbearable now that the rain turned the dirt into mud. Cuddy gritted her teeth every time she had to subject her shoes to the torture of being emerged into a foot full of mud. There better be some sharp rocks in here, otherwise she planned to be extremely mad.

House was having twice as much trouble. The roots from the trees were hidden now, so they couldn't be easily seen. If it weren't for Cuddy's arms around his waist, he probably would've fallen. Not to mention the mud was even slipperier than the sand when it was dry and the occasional hidden roots to get a foot tangled up in. If Cuddy knew the path up to the streambed was this unbearable, she wouldn't have suggested it in the first place.

"House, forget it," Cuddy said, holding him back after his good leg almost gave out, leaving him to support his weight painfully on his bad leg. The groan he let out told her that it didn't feel too good. "It's not worth it."

House took in a breath. Cuddy could tell he was tired. "This is the way to the streambed and if we can't get there now, what makes you think we can get there in storms twice as bad as this one when the mud is impossible to travel on? This storm could go on for days!"

"Then we go stick our mouths out and get water that way. House, I'm not going to have you break your back just to get a rock to open coconuts! We can use one of those huge wax leaves if we're that desperate. Or seashells."

House appeared to agree with her. Drenched mud was clinging to Cuddy's feet in the time it took him to decide what he wanted to do. She even lost her footing for a moment, seconds before he agreed to turn back around.

The rain never showed them any mercy. Cuddy had to relocate her hands. She took his free hand with one hand and wrapped her arm around his lower back with the other.

"Stop trying to help me!" House snapped, pushing her away so hard that she nearly fell into the nearby tree. "I can do it myself!"

Cuddy wasn't surprised. He was so full of pride, even now as a drenched rat, traipsing through mud and tripping on roots that stuck up from the ground. They weren't on level ground either, making it harder for him to maintain proper balance.

Watching him struggle just so he could keep his precious pride hurt Cuddy.

"Stop being so stubborn," Cuddy said, making a reach for him again. "You aren't impressing anyone by refusing help."

House was way past frustrated and reached angry. He was angry for many reasons. His main reason was that because of his stupid leg, he couldn't walk up to the streambed and find the rock he needed to open the coconuts. When he does try to walk, he almost falls, angering himself further. He figures that any normal guy would've been able to get up there and be back down by now, preparing to open the coconuts. Not House. He felt incredibly useless to himself and to Cuddy. He felt so hopeless that he repelled her when she tried to help him. He didn't want to be some charity case. He wanted to be normal, if only to protect Cuddy. It was the man's duty to protect the woman and he failed. It was Cuddy who ended up helping him and he hated that. He put up with it halfway up here, but now he couldn't stand it. He resented her instead of wanting to protect her. When Cuddy reached out to help him again, he shoved her back so hard that she lost her footing and fell backwards. Her bruised left side from jumping out of the plane, which was still very tender, hit the nearest tree. She cried out painfully on contact. House merely watched her through the rain and narrowed eyes as she fell to the sides of her legs and onto her side after the collision with the tree. She slid a few centimeters, thanks to the slick ground, before coming to a stop.

House didn't care. He watched her with an ironclad heart, suddenly wishing she would vanish from his sight.

Their eyes met. Hers were pained ten times over as a feeling of betrayal struck her hard.

House said nothing to her and walked on, forgetting about her completely.

It wasn't just the events of right now. Cuddy was always trying to help him and it caused him to snap at this particular moment, adding on all the other stressors this stupid accident brought on, as well as any other time she had to help him because of his leg, or went out of her way to do something for him. It caused him to inadvertently hurt the only person who would love him unconditionally, no matter what. Even as she struggled to come close to somewhat to a sitting position, thanks to her throbbing side, she would continue to love him. The rain poured down on her, her pants were saturated in mud, and her shirt was now ripped down the side, thanks to the sharp bark of the tree. When her shirt was ripped, a gash the length of the rip had formed and was bleeding badly. Since it was where her bruise was, it was twice as painful as it would be on ordinary flesh.

Cuddy couldn't help but cry. It wasn't because of the pain that pulsed through her veins, reaching every spot in her body; it was because of how angry House was. The pain she could push out of her mind, but the pain House felt couldn't be. He had never laid a hand on her before and she knew she was partly to blame for it. She would never regret trying to help him and promised to continue to do so.

Once Cuddy was able to get all the parts of her body to work together as one, she stepped back onto the path, but did so still in pain. She whimpered, trying to stand sturdily in the mud with heels. Once this was over, she promised herself she would never wear heels again for as long as she lived.

Carefully, she walked down the path the rest of the way. She took her shoes off once she reached the base of the path and back under the tree with the wax-like leaves. House was nowhere to be seen. She figured he went back over to the cave to get out of the rain. Cuddy figured he wanted to be alone, so she didn't go after him. Instead, she walked out to the beach once her shoes were off and searched the sand for shells to put the water in. The rain continued to pour with just as much intensity as it did before trying to get up to the streambed. It was enough to rinse her completely free of any mud buildup that gathered on her clothes during her search for seashells.

She still didn't see House anywhere. Since she was practically in the surf, waves crashing up onto her feet, she was able to see most of the island. If she couldn't see House, chances are he was in the cave. That was a relief to Cuddy. At least he was safe in there.

In about fifteen minutes or so, Cuddy collected enough shells that were wide and deep enough to store a mouthful of water. Since then, the rain let up a little. She was completely soaked to the bone. What she could use right now was a nice fire to lay beside. She missed warmth.

She debated whether or not she wanted to go to the cave and see House. She did want to give him some seashells so he could have water to drink.

Making up her mind quickly, she walked towards the cave. The closer she got, the smell of a fire filled her nostrils. The first thing she thought was lightning had struck one of the trees on the island, but in turning the corner of rocks, she saw that House had started a small fire at the front entrance of the cave.

Cuddy's eyes widened. How did he do that?!

The fire lit up the entire cave. Cuddy could see House sitting by the fire, stretching his leg out. It couldn't be too comfortable for him to sit on such a hard ground.

He saw her coming towards the cave and immediately dropped his eyes to the fire.

"I got us some seashells for the water. How did you start the fire?" she asked, speaking as if the incident between them never took place.

"There were rocks, twigs, and grass in here already that weren't wet." He cautiously glanced up at her, but lowered his eyes immediately to the seashells. "How did you find those?"

"Most of them were along the shoreline," she said in a small voice, planting them outside before entering tentatively entering the cave, easily walking past the fire. The cave was very wide, it just lacked in length and height. Starting the fire deeper inside the cave would be foolish. They would choke to death from the smoke. Luckily, House was thinking of that when he started the fire.

"Was starting the fire as hard as everyone makes it seem?" she asked, sitting a few feet away from him with a small chuckle.

House still didn't look at her. He stared into the fire, as if it would give him the answer to something he sought so desperately while tossing Harry back and forth between each hand. He shook his head. "No."

The tension between them was thick. In fact, it filled up the entire cave. Cuddy felt uncomfortable. A part of her wanted to go back out to the beach and seek shelter underneath the trees until it stopped raining. But she didn't. Instead, she brushed the area in front of her with her hand to see if there was any sand in her path before laying down. She wanted to get closer to the fire. The warmth that came from it felt amazing and brought her at ease, despite the anxiety between her and House. She stretched out, but accidentally hit her left side wrong and winced involuntarily. She hated showing her vulnerability in front of House and immediately kicked herself mentally for that wince. At least the bleeding from the gash had stopped.

House glanced over at her just as she was switching sides.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

Cuddy nodded, resting her head on her arm while the rest of her body stretched out. "Yeah."

Nothing was said for the longest time. Cuddy had just about fallen asleep when House spoke again.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I brought some bananas in here."

Cuddy shook her head. "No, thanks." She was starting to hate even the name of that fruit.

"You have to eat something."

"When you find fish and crabs, let me know."

"Come on, Cuddy—"

"I said no, House."

"You can't starve yourself. Stop being so pigheaded."

"Oh so now the shoe is on the other foot," Cuddy said, picking her head up. "You won't let me help you, so what makes you think I'm going to let you help me?"

"I'm not helping you, I'm telling you to stop being so picky," he said harshly, throwing a banana at her. "Eat it and shut up."

Cuddy did so. She peeled it and forced herself to take a bite. That's another thing she planned to swear off if she ever made it home—bananas. They would never be on her shopping list again.

She ate it quickly, even though she felt ill with every bite taken. House watched her from the corner of his eye the entire time, as if she would cheat or something. "There," she said, tossing the peel out of the cave. "You happy now?"

"Yes," he said simply and went back to staring into the flames of the fire. He reached into his pocket to pull out his Vicodin bottle. It was a surprise that he still had some left. He popped one in his mouth and swallowed it dry.

Silence fell between them again. Cuddy couldn't bring herself to sleep. What she really wanted to do was talk to House. She lifted her head up off her arm and glanced at him. He looked so lost, as if he were internally brooding about something. She swallowed hard. She wanted nothing more than to embrace him.

That's just what she did. When he heard her moving, he glanced over. She slid herself over to him once in a seated position and wrapped her arms around him from the back, head resting on his shoulder. She felt him sigh, but didn't push her away this time. Instead, he asked her nicely to leave him alone.

"Why won't you let me hold you?" Cuddy asked, briefly pulling back, but not pulling away.

"You pity me. I don't want anyone pitying me."

"I don't pity you, House, I'm not Cameron. I don't thrive on people that are damaged."

When he didn't talk back, she snaked her arms around his waist again. "I just want to help you."

"Because of my leg."

"No, not because of—"

"Yes it is!" he yelled, voice echoing inside the cave. It was loud enough to draw Cuddy back. He never faced her. He yelled at her with his back turned towards her. "I'm just a charity case to you! I'll never be able to give you what you want."

"And how the hell do you know what I want?" she asked, drops of anger in her voice.

"You want someone who will hold your hand and be there for you." His voice was much quieter now. "You shouldn't have to be here, forced to pick me up if I fall."

"House, those are two completely irrelevant from one another. I do want someone to be there for me but that has nothing to do with our current situation. I'm not helping you because I feel obligated to, or because we're the only ones here and have to protect one another. I'm doing it because I want to and you're just too damn proud to accept it."

"I'm not proud," he muttered.

"Then what is it?" she asked, holding up both hands. "Clue me in, because clearly I don't know you as well as I thought. Seems to me you're tossing me aside because you think I have a problem with you having an infarction and needing the extra help."

"I shouldn't need extra help," he murmured.

"But you do and I'm willing to give it to you. Why can't you just accept it? I hated watching you struggle on the way up to the streambed," she said, using a sorrowful tone that made tears come to her eyes.

"Well get used to it, because that's who I am!" he shouted. "And stop with that tone. If you say anything else, you're sleeping in the rain tonight."

"House…" she started quietly.

"I pushed Stacy out of my life because all she wanted to do was bend over backwards to help me. I hated it. If I can push out a woman that I loved, think of how easy it will be to push you out."

"House, I don't know what you had with Stacy, but I care about you very much. This accident, starting with you saving my life when we jumped out of the plane, awakened feelings I didn't know I had. I'm not leaving you, no matter how hard you push. You can take me to the top of this island and throw me down onto jagged rocks to try to get me away from you, but it won't happen." She lightly touched his shoulder. He flinched almost unnoticeably, but didn't brush her hand off.

"I can't be what you want," he repeated, almost helplessly.

"You're all that I want," she said, hugging him from behind again and reflexively placing a kiss at the side of his neck. She didn't mean to do that and didn't realize she did until House pulled away from her.

"You don't know what you're saying, Cuddy." He shifted towards the entrance of the cave. "You're sleep deprived, your comfort level is nonexistent, you're hungry, and you're in pain."

It had stopped raining a short time ago and the sun came out, already drying up the sand beneath their feet as Cuddy slid out after him.

"I'm perfectly aware of what I'm thinking, House. You listing my current conditions won't stop anything. You're just trying to avoid the subject."

"What subject?" he asked, limping away from her along the beach.

Cuddy followed him. She was more bent on getting him to listen to her rather than him hearing how she felt about him. He kept walking away and that angered her.

"Where are you going?" She was amazed on how fast he was walking through the sand. She almost had to jog to keep up with him.

"Up to the streambed. It's not raining anymore and we need the rocks."

Cuddy was afraid of this. He was out to prove that a bum leg wouldn't hold him back.

"House, we don't need the rocks. We have the shells, remember?"

"The seashells don't hold shit. We need the coconut shells."

If House went back up there without Cuddy to support him, it's likely he wouldn't make it halfway without falling and hurting himself.

"We don't need the coconut shells!" She reached in and grabbed his arm, not caring what would happen as a result of her doing so. Her grip was harder and more intense this time. "This isn't even about the rocks! It's about your ego!"

He ripped his arm back, vehemence flashing in his eyes.

"You want to prove to yourself that you can climb that path and fight the odds!"

He didn't say anything and continued walking.

"Don't you understand that you could get hurt going up there?" she pressed.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like we're going home anytime soon."

Cuddy had to wonder how long he's felt so down like this. It wasn't like him at all. She almost didn't know how to react to it. But she did know one thing. Without House, she couldn't survive on this island. He's been top of the line since the moment they set foot on the island. It was too early to give up. If anything, Cuddy thought she would be the first to take chances and know there's no hope for them going home, not House.

"This is something I have to do."

Cuddy realized she couldn't come between House and his determination. If this is what he had to do, she had to let him do it. She could be completely against it, and give him an entire book on how she felt, but he'd still end up doing it.

"There are rocks along the shore," Cuddy tried once more, but she knew it wasn't about the rocks. It never was.

He didn't listen to her. Cuddy threw her hand over her mouth and welcomed the warm tears that flooded her cheeks when he disappeared from sight. This is something he had to do. For some reason or another, he felt destined to climb the muddy path and make it to the streambed, despite all odds.

Cuddy was hopeful. If she could climb the path in almost complete darkness, in heels no less, there's a possibility House could climb the path if he was alone and focused.

Cuddy didn't understand him. She didn't understand herself. She knew she liked House all along, but ever since the night they spent together floating on the emergency door, snuggled up, she felt something more towards him. It didn't help any when he kissed her to rescind her fear of the shark. And then there are all his innuendos and sexual euphemisms towards her that didn't help out much either. She could safely admit to herself that she had strong feelings for House. She knew that familiar heart palpation when she felt the feeling. It was the same emotion she had when they were first together. It was only for that one night, but she was in love with him.

She placed her hand over her chest. The feeling tightened.

She was in love with him again.

As impossible as that sounded, she securely admitted to herself that she did in fact love him. Her entire body felt the tingling sensation that she hasn't felt in years.

She couldn't let him climb that steep path now that she discovered this feeling. She jogged the length between the spot she stood on the beach to the entrance of the path, every intention of pulling him back. Her heart still felt constricted, but it was a good feeling. It made her feel as if she were floating, even at a time like this. She left her shoes back in the cave and because of the last time trying to climb up to the streambed, the roofs of her feet, as well as the sides that weren't protected by the straps of the high-heeled shoes were scraped and cut up. Neglecting her shoes altogether would probably cause some heavy bleeding and making her feet immobile for some time. But she didn't care. If it was to save House, she would go so far as to losing a foot.

Turning around the curve, which is where the path started, she was suddenly halted when her path was blocked. House stood there, mock cane in hand, as if he was waiting for her to try to stop him.

"You didn't go," she said, stating the obvious.

"I know. I was testing you," he said, a small formation of a smirk tugging at the end of his mouth.

Cuddy frowned. "Testing me?"

He stepped closer. "To see if you were telling the truth about your feelings and not just saying it to pull me back." Their eyes connected. "If you came in after me, even though I specifically told you not to, you would be coming in for me, not because you felt sorry for me."

"I never felt sorry for you, House," she said, tensing up as he drew closer to her.

A small breath escaped her parted lips as he lightly brushed the backs of his fingers up against her cheek. If her chest was feeling tight before, now it felt as if it were going to explode.

"Good," he said, mouth barely moving.

He was the first to initiate a kiss that, in the best sense of the cliché, took Cuddy's breath away. She reached up to give him better access and cupped the sides of his face with her hands. House deepened the kiss by placing his free hand at the back of her head and drawing her closer.

Their tongues mingled unanimously this time. Both of them wanted it.

Cuddy didn't realize the exigency of her reciprocation until she found herself having to pull back to take a breath. House did also. Their foreheads connected as the both of them panted loudly.

It didn't take House long to pick up where they left off. This time, there was an added bonus on his part. Cuddy moaned through the less intense kiss as he rested both hands over her chest, teasing the nipples through her shirt and bra with his thumbs.

House left her mouth and kissed hungrily at her jaw line, all the way to her neck. Cuddy's body was already on fire with just his hands on her chest alone. Now that his talented mouth was gently attacking her neck, she knew there was no turning back. Not that she wanted to. Her eyes fluttered shut as House licked and sucked at her neck. Her limbs just about turned to jelly with just this action alone! God was he good! She had to hold onto him just to maintain her balance.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he whispered into her neck.

"Shut up," Cuddy said, bringing her hands up to the first button of his shirt. She skillfully unbuttoned it all the way down and pushed the shirt off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground.

It was easy to take her shirt off. House lifted it over her head just after his fell to the ground. Cuddy reached up for another kiss while his hands fumbled with the bra strap in the back. He adroitly unclipped it like a pro. Cuddy let the straps slide down her arms and into the sand beneath them. House left her mouth to attack her chest as soon as the obstruction was gone. Cuddy sucked in a breath when he wasted no time circling the areola with his tongue. When Cuddy's nipple was erect, he bit down on it, causing her entire body to flinch. Her nipples were extremely sensitive and House smiled when he discovered that. He loved making her flinch. He repeated the action a few more times while kneading at her breasts with the tips of his fingers.

Cuddy was on the brink of exploding. Her pulse quickened, as well as her inhalation. Her labored breathing set House off. It took every ounce of self-control not to take her right then and there.

"God, Cuddy…" he breathed into her chest, driving his tongue anywhere it could go. She tasted so good after being out in the rain.

Somehow, they made it out to the beach. The top layer of the white sand was dry, but underneath it was still wet. Neither of them took any notice. House laid Cuddy down and he crawled over her the best he could without putting too much weight on his leg, and also taking extra care not to come in contact with her side.

Cuddy brought her hands up to his waist to work avidly to untie the drawstring. At the same time, their lips met again. When Cuddy successfully untied the drawstring and loosened up the waist of his shorts, she slipped a hand past the hem and stroked his length. House let out a long moan inside her mouth. If her hand didn't stop, this would be over before it started. He drew himself back just far enough where she couldn't reach him with her hand. Unfortunately, it took him away from her mouth, but brought him back to her chest. His hands worked to unbutton her pants. Since he did this once already today, he was familiar with how to do it again. He unbuttoned them skillfully and Cuddy helped remove them, followed by the maroon and black thong that matched her bra. He removed those almost agonizingly slow. He smirked when Cuddy wiggled her lower half just to hurry him up.

"Bastard," she huffed when she had to help him. She hoped this was one thing he couldn't wait to get off her.

"Patience, my dear," he said, suddenly getting cocky.

"Fuck patience," she hissed. "Do it now."

He inched her legs apart slowly and knelt in between them. "Well…since you asked so nicely…"

She writhed beneath him. "Stop teasing me, House," she said, as serious as she could make her tone of voice sound in a heated moment like this. It didn't daunt House at all. In fact, it was laughable. He smirked at her.

"I like to tease," he said simply. "I also like hickeys." He sucked gently at her neck at first, but then much harder. Cuddy cried out when the surface of her skin became hot. He licked the area gently with the tip of his tongue. He performed the same action on her left breast. That one hurt much more than the hickey at her neck. Cuddy gasped in pain. It also turned her on even further. She urged to be touched and was seconds away from pleasuring herself if House didn't step in. He was too busy focusing in on her chest. It's like he forgot her main pleasure center even existed.

House drew his tongue down her chest, to her stomach, circled her navel, crossed her midsection, and finally reached the goal Cuddy wanted him to. Her breath was caught in her throat again when his tongue came into contact with her moist pink folds of flesh. She tossed her head back into the sand when his tongue found her swollen clit. Her hands alternated between fisting the sand and taking in handfuls and squeezing it. Her entire body was on fire from her head, all the way down to her curled toes. House's hands were on the inside of her thighs, pushing her legs further apart as he continued the assault on her clit. If he didn't stop now, Cuddy would come.

"House…no…" she breathed, recoiling a bit.

He showed he didn't like her draw back when he bit down on her clit, causing her to cry out for the heavens to hear. She screwed her eyes shut, trying her hardest to hold herself back. She saw stars.

But she didn't want to come this way, even though the feeling was fantastic and she didn't want him to stop.

He didn't stop until she was seconds away from reaching her orgasm. Cuddy felt a little relieved, but angrier than anything that he stopped. House left her in a writhing, panting mess. She didn't have time to scold him, for one of his fingers was circling her entrance. Her eyes widened as he pushed his finger easily up into her.

"God, Cuddy, you're so wet," he said, not thinking she would be this drenched already. He had to have some of it. He replaced his finger with his tongue and tasted her. Cuddy bucked her hips at him when his tongue dabbed her entrance and poked in. He used his fingers to massage her moist folds, occasionally brushing up against her clit. Cuddy bucked the hardest when he did that.

Cuddy's hands were now getting tangled up in his hair.

"Need you…in me…" she gasped.

"What did I say about patience?" he asked, glancing up at her.

"If you don't take me right now, I walk away and give you blue balls," she threatened angrily.

A sexed up Cuddy isn't a Cuddy anyone wanted to tease. Her impatience is proof that she didn't get enough sex. She could go without it, but if she was given the chance to get some, she was all over it.

Cuddy reached out to grasp the lining of his shorts, which were still regretfully on his body.

"Alright, okay, woman," House removed his shorts and his erection sprang free.

Cuddy's eyes went wide. She had no idea he was this big! This was definitely going to hurt…

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked, hoping it wasn't just a spur the moment thing.

"Stop talking," she said, putting her hands around to cup his ass cheeks.

House took that as a sign to continue. They were too far to pull back now.

"This changes everything."

"Change can be for the better," she countered, urgently pressing her hands at his ass cheeks, showing she hadn't changed her mind and she wasn't going to.

Cuddy tensed when she felt the head slipping uncomfortably inside her. House hissed, grasping her thighs as he inched forward, unaware that it hurt Cuddy. Cuddy bit her lower lip so hard that it nearly bled. He saw this action and stopped.

"Are you okay?" he asked, hating that the mildly screwed up expression on her face forced him to stop. The heat was calling him and he had to use every small amount of willpower he had just to resist the urge to continue. Cuddy's celibacy suited her. She was so incredibly tight all around him. He gritted his teeth.

"Yes," she breathed, nodding swiftly. "Keep going…please…"

House knew if he kept going, he would hurt her. He didn't want to hurt her, but his mind was on fire, as well as every inch of his body. Cuddy relaxed her body as best she could and that helped a little.

House let out a groan as he pushed in further. "God, how the hell are you so tight?"

"Maybe you're too big," she said, angry that he broke her concentration with talking.

"You were never this tight before and I got you when you were a virgin."

"I wasn't a virgin," she said, followed by a gasp. She threw her head back into the sand and arched her back when his extraordinary length was three quarters of the way in.

"Janine said you were."

"Janine was always a lying, selfish bitch, now shut up and fuck me!"

House found himself grow even harder with that bold request. It didn't seem at all like words that would come out of Cuddy's mouth. He gripped her thighs harder and withdrew, only to thrust his entire length back into her in one swift motion. The intensity had both of them yelling out. House didn't stop there. He repeated the action numerous times, thrusting himself all the way in and causing so much friction that the added heat around him felt incredible. He felt Cuddy's nails digging into his back so hard that he swore she drew blood. That only tempted him to thrust harder. He placed one hand at her side, but the other remained on her thigh. He took care not to disturb her injuries on her left side.

Cuddy's chest bobbed with each thrust. House wasn't gentle about them. He had her entire body shifting in the sand.

He also didn't remember Cuddy being this loud. Them being on their own island must've encouraged her to go all out. Either that or not getting some in years might've had something to do with it.

House leaned over her, feeling the need to involve her chest in this. He massaged one breast while attacking the other with his mouth.

Cuddy panted his name, followed by infrequent cries of pain. It was a good pain. She never once asked him to slow down or stop. With the attack on her chest, as well as his deep, hard thrusts, it didn't take a lot from there for a much needed orgasm to build up inside. Her hands fisted in his hair for a moment before returning to his back to dig her nails into it.

"House…I'm…I'm…"

She didn't need to continue. He knew she was on the brink when he felt her tighten around him.

"Let go, Lisa. Let go, for me."

Cuddy's shrilling voice bounced off every rock formation on the island, creating an echo that neither of them thought was possible in the open air as she hit the most intense orgasm she had ever felt. Her body arched up to meet his. House couldn't remember the last time that hearing his name, plus the words 'oh' and 'yes' in the same sentence made him come so hard. Hearing Cuddy, as well as feeling her spill out on him, triggered the best orgasm he's had in a long time. He grunted his release into her while attacking her neck. He came so much that most of it seeped out before he had the chance to pull out.

He couldn't move. Whatever strength he had held onto during the last two days at sea and on the island for survival was officially wiped out as of now. He collapsed onto Cuddy, head resting on her chest. His head quickly rose and fell, due to her heavy breathing. The quick-paced pounding of her heart filled his ear.

Neither of them had the strength to move.

"House," she whispered when she was finally able to find her voice. She gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

He didn't say anything back. Instead, he just smiled.

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**That was my first shot at Huddy smut! I'm not foreign to Cuddy x Cameron or Cuddy x Thirteen, but this was a different road for me. I'm worried it didn't come out as good as I hoped. If I do get good feedback on it, there will be plenty more hot island smut to come!**


	8. New Management

**Thanks for the reviews, folks! I'm glad you all liked my first attempt at Huddy smut!**

**Enjoy :)**

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"You need to get some sleep," Cameron said to Wilson when she walked into his office around one in the morning.

"I was just about to on the couch," he said, turning off his desk light. He was completely worn out and overtired.

"You need a bed, not a couch. Go home."

Wilson sighed tiredly. The areas around his eyes were red. "Thanks for your concern, but I have to be here in case Will or someone from Hawaii calls."

Cameron sat in the chair in front of his desk. "The only calls you've gotten so far were from the press. Will isn't going to call until he has something. That might not be for a while."

"Way to raise my hopes," he said, rubbing his face again.

"He said he would call you once the motion was in order to exhume the plane, right? He's not going to get clearance in a day, Wilson. It's going to take at least a week."

Wilson shook his head. "House and Cuddy may not have a week. They might not even have another day!"

Seeing House and Cuddy back at this hospital was very slim, and getting slimmer by the minute. Wilson wasn't getting the answers he wanted and that was quickly making him lose patience, as well as concentration. He's been so focused on House and Cuddy and being on the phone all day with various people from LAX to get rosters, pestering Hawaii's rescue team, and occasionally with Japan's Narita International to get information on the aircrafts. Coming right down to it, he was being a pest. His patients haven't seen him in days and he was slacking on his work. Good thing there wasn't an administrator to tell him what to do. However, that would be coming to an end very soon. Another reason Wilson was so on edge was because a temporary administrator was coming in tomorrow to take over Cuddy's daily responsibilities. He knew that if Cuddy didn't come back, whoever this person was would be here permanently. He liked to think it would happen under different circumstances, like Cuddy resigning because she was moving to another state, or leaving because she found something else that made her happy, not scratching her name off the door because she was missing and probably dead somewhere. The feeling didn't settle too well in his stomach.

"There's nothing you can do, so don't stress yourself out." Cameron's voice was caring, much like it always was to someone who was suffering one way or another.

"Hey, at least I didn't faint," he countered.

"If you keep this up, you just might. Would you feel better if I was in here with you?"

Wilson did need a friend and since his own was lost at sea, Cameron was the next best choice. Since neither of them planned to leave the hospital until they heard House or Cuddy's voice come from somewhere, telling them they were okay, they might as well make themselves comfortable.

Wilson took the couch by the window and Cameron took the extra one he had near the door. Hers was only a loveseat, but she was able to bend her knees comfortably on the two-cushioned couch and used her arms as pillows until Wilson tossed her one from his couch. She accepted it with thanks and tucked it behind her head.

The lights went off and if it weren't for the streetlights that poured through the slightly cracked blinds, it would be completely dark. It was also extremely quiet. The only noise that filled their ears was the low humming that came from the vents that pumped heat throughout the building.

Cameron closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep.

"Cameron?" came Wilson's tired voice.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it would be too pushy of me to go to Hawaii and join the rescue team?"

Cameron didn't think that was on his mind, but didn't shock her in the least.

"I'm surprised you aren't already there."

"When they call off the search, I will. I know they're out there somewhere. I can't, for the life of me, see House succumbing to a plane crash."

"It can happen to anyone," Cameron said.

"I know, but not to him. If it did happen to him, he'd find a way out. It's House. I believe his ignorance goes so far as him not wanting to die in such a way. He'll get himself out. And Cuddy."

"Do you know some of the nurses around here are already starting to talk about what the funerals will look like without a body in the coffins?"

Wilson didn't say anything. That's one funeral he never planned to attend. Instead, he would be in Hawaii, slamming a check onto the table and personally going for a ride with them over the Pacific for however long it took until House and Cuddy were found, or he found some sort of evidence that they were in fact dead.

"I guess we can't really make any plans right now until the plane is exhumed. If they are there, I guess life will resume. If they aren't, I know they're alive somewhere, and that's when I go to Hawaii and make myself a part of the team," Wilson said, having everything planned out.

"Want company? I assume the department of diagnostic medicine will be shut down with new management. I'll have nothing to do to occupy my time."

She didn't want to see Wilson go at this alone.

He said yes.

-------------------

The next morning, Princeton Plainsboro met their new management. Those who were able to gathered in the coliseum-style assembly hall and waited for him. So far, all they learned was his name. Zachary Feeney, M.D. Wilson and Cameron were in there, merely out of curiosity on who they got to replace Cuddy. Other than that, they could care less. There were many people in the assembly hall, chatting amongst themselves until Zachary Feeney planned to grace them with his presence.

"Hope he doesn't plan to get too comfortable here," Wilson said to Cameron.

Cameron just nodded. Foreman joined them moments later.

"Packed house in here, huh?" he said, feeling resentment towards the new administrator already and hasn't even met him yet.

"Don't know why. Could everyone really be accepting the fact that Cuddy is more than just missing?" Cameron asked.

Neither of them had a chance to answer, for the doors were thrust open so loudly that it created an awful echo. Safe to say, he caught everyone's attention. Wilson and Cameron frowned when a kid, probably no older than twenty-five, walked through the door. This was Zachary Feeney? He was dressed in a black suit and tie with folders tucked under his arm. He stepped behind the podium and slightly adjusted his tie as he cleared his throat. Since the microphone was on, that's the first sound everyone heard. Cameron frowned right away.

"Good morning, Princeton Plainsboro, my name is Zachary Feeney and I will be temporarily replacing the Dean of Medicine slot until…well, I'm not quite sure yet," he said, pressing his glasses closer to his face. He cleared his throat again, not one of his most pleasant habits. "It's a great tragedy on what happened with Lisa Cuddy and I hope that she's out there and returns safely back to this hospital." He clapped once. "But for now, I have the run of the place and I'm sure you'll get used to me in no time."

Cameron felt the urge to smack the smile right off his adolescent face.

"Are you even qualified for the job?!" Wilson asked, speaking up from the back.

Feeney's eyes went straight to him. "Excuse me?"

"You look a little too young to fill an incredibly important position."

"I'm twenty-seven. And who might you be?" There was a drop of sarcasm in his voice, but went unnoticed to many.

"James Wilson, Oncologist, and I don't appreciate Dr. Cuddy's spot going to someone who doesn't appear to me to be serious about the job."

Even knowing the room was filled with employees that respected and admired Cuddy, neither of them spoke up when Wilson did. Could they seriously be okay with this?

"Well, James Wilson, I graduated top of my class from medical school when I was twenty-two. I was ahead of my class by four years. The only bit of high school I saw was my senior year."

"I'm not here to talk about your education. Just don't get too comfortable. Dr. Cuddy will be coming back."

Feeney chuckled. That sparked something in Wilson. Cameron took his arm, just to be sure he wouldn't do something stupid, like make a break for Feeney and get himself fired.

"With all do respect, James Wilson, I'm much more qualified than Lisa Cuddy to run the job title. I've been after her job for years and now that I finally got it, I won't be giving it up. Looks like I won't have to because she won't be coming back."

"Come on, calm down," Cameron whispered, holding his arm tighter when Wilson's fists tightened.

Wilson had to leave the assembly room, otherwise he would say something that would land him out of here without a job. Cameron and Foreman went with him. They couldn't stomach anymore.

"That son of a bitch isn't staying here, I'll see to that myself," Wilson said, walking quickly.

Ever since House and Cuddy went missing, Wilson became an entirely different Wilson. He and House had a very odd friendship, but it still meant something to him. House missing created a side to him that no one saw before. He was much bolder and not afraid to say what was on his mind and didn't care how the content sounded when it came out. If Cameron wasn't there in the assembly hall, Wilson probably would've lost his mind and said something to Feeney.

"What right does he have saying that he could do a better job than Cuddy? He's not staying here," he repeated strongly.

"He will if they can't find Cuddy. It's been five days since they were lost at sea, Wilson. You said so yourself that if they don't have the proper flotation device, the chance of survival was slimmer than slim if they weren't rescued right away. If they did find something to seek refuge on, without water, they would've died already," Foreman reminded as gently as he could without setting Wilson off.

Wilson was shaking his head the entire time. "He's out there, I'm sure of it. Whether Cuddy's with him or not, I know House is still alive. I just know it."

----------------

"Hey, look what I found," House said, pulling out his iPod shuffle from a zipped pocket on his shorts. "I didn't know I put this in here."

"Does it work?" Cuddy asked, propping herself up onto her elbow.

He put an earbud into his ear and pressed play. He shook his head. "Not really, it sounds waterlogged," he said.

Cuddy stuck the other earbud to her ear to hear it for herself. She laughed when she heard what he heard, which is someone sounding like they were performing a band under the water.

House tossed the shuffle somewhere into the cave. "Good thing I didn't bring my real iPod."

Cuddy sat up to add more sticks to the fire. She wanted to keep this one going as long as she could. She never saw House start the fire, but believed him when he said it was a pain. House, who was laying on his back on a makeshift bed they made out of those gigantic leaves they found hanging around at the bottom of the tree, wasted no time in shifting his eyes to look at Cuddy. He zoomed in on the waistline of her pants, secretly wishing them off her body. He hoped her rash wouldn't have stopped itching. The pants would have to come off that way. What was the big deal anyway? They already slept together! What's she afraid of hiding?

His hand performed the same action as before and a finger was hooked around the back lining of her pants.

"House, stop," she said, voice firm.

"Why?" he asked, not stopping. In fact, he dipped his fingers just past the lining of her pants.

His actions caused Cuddy to shift out of the way, just far enough to where he couldn't touch her back unless he moved along with her.

"See, I knew this would happen. We have sex once and you think it's an open invitation to do it whenever you want."

"Like you don't want it!" he said.

"I think me putting back on every article of clothing I brought with me is a hint that I don't want to do it again."

House looked almost insulted by her sentence. "Why the hell not?"

Cuddy sighed. "House…it shouldn't have happened at all. I was feeling sorry for myself, my guard was down—"

"Oh don't give me that shit, Cuddy. You've been slipping me small hints ever since we boarded the damn plane. Next thing you're going to say is that I raped you."

Cuddy's eyes widened at that. "No, of course I'm not saying that. I wanted it. But now I don't. I apologize if I was encouraging you. We should just forget it happened and resume our lives."

House chuckled, but no humor came from it. "Resume our lives?" he repeated. "What lives? It appears we can't do that, unless a rescue plane comes to us in the next five seconds. Things have changed, Cuddy. To this island, we aren't Dr. House and Dr. Cuddy. To this island, we're just two ordinary people that are forced to be here against their wills."

"Just because I'm forced to be here, doesn't mean I can't bring my standards along with me," she said, wondering if he was saying all this just to get her to sleep with him again. "I'm not having sex with you every time you pull out a dollar bill. I'm not one of your hookers. If you're really that hard up, go…jack off behind a bush or something. I'm going to sleep."

For the past few nights, Cuddy curled up beside him. Tonight, she turned away from him and slept as far away as she could.

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**Please review! :)**


	9. Discontinued Search

**Thanks everyone for the fantastic reviews! I love each and every one of them!**

**I'm aware that no one liked where the last chapter ended, but never fear, Cuddy won't stay mad at House for long! Oh, and am I the only one who is reeeally mad that instead of a new episode of House tonight, they have some presidental thingy?! I almost cried...**

**But anyway, enjoy :)**

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"Dr. Wilson, you got a minute?"

Wilson cringed when Feeney poked his head in without knocking.

"Sure. What can I do for you?" he asked, not really caring at all what this guy had to say.

Feeney entered and took it upon himself to sit in the chair across from Wilson's desk. Deep regret filled his face. What was that all about?

"It's come to my attention that some of your cancer researchers are drinking coffee in the lab."

Wilson failed to see how this was a problem. "So?" he said, waiting for the bigger picture to appear. "It's a study lab, not a sterile pathology lab with chemicals. I don't see what the problem is."

"Oh, so you're saying you accept this behavior? There are computers in there that could easily be damaged if coffee is spilt onto the keyboards. Not to mention the very expensive books that could be damaged. I'm sure you don't want the difference coming out of your paycheck, Dr. Wilson."

Did he have a point? "Look, Dr. Feeney, I'm very busy here."

"Dr. Cuddy lets them drink in the lab?"

"Obviously. She lets them eat lunch in there, too, right on top of the expensive _Alternative Cures_ book. They could probably spend the night also if they wanted to, since there are couches in there. Do you mind? I'm behind in my work here."

Feeney looked concerned. "What you're behind on is sleep, Dr. Wilson. You should probably go home and take a nap. I wouldn't want my star Oncologist to bow out when we need him the most."

Wilson raised a brow. _His_ star Oncologist?

Feeney got up and walked to the door. Wilson eyed him, as if trying to move the door with his mind so that it'll hit him on the way out.

"Oh, and one more thing," Feeney said, looking over his shoulder at him. "It's none of your concern, but since you're a department head, you should know that I'm cutting Diagnostics from the budget. The department is useless. I'll be letting the other heads know as well."

Wilson clenched his fists and bit his lip. He so very badly wanted to yell at Feeney until he was blue in the face, but had a feeling it wouldn't really matter. He was going to do it anyway. He needed to find House and Cuddy and he needed to find them now.

---------------

"Look what I got!" House said, holding up a wide stick with a crab stabbed at the end of it. "We're going to eat like royal leaders now."

Cuddy, who was getting seriously sick of bananas since the first time she held one on the island, felt her stomach growl at the sight of the helpless crustacean stabbed into the end of the stick.

"God, House, you're my hero," she said, hunger pains returning.

"Oh, gee, never thought I'd hear that again." He sat onto the makeshift bed and hovered the crab over the fire, like toasting a marshmallow. He wasn't exactly the boondocks king and went all wrong with preparing how to cook up a crab, but with the lack of no other option on how to cook it, this seemed like the most logical way to do so.

Cuddy let his comment slide. She was trying to set boundaries with him, but no matter what she said or how she said it, he would always come back with some sort of sexual euphemism. Their morning was full of them. Avoiding him last night didn't give him a good enough hint that they shouldn't sleep together again. He still wanted to. And he could tell that she wanted it too.

"I need a shower," Cuddy moaned, picking at the stiff ends of her hair.

"Showers sound nice," House admitted. "So does shower _sex_."

"House," Cuddy said in a warning voice.

"What? It does!" he said innocently. "All my hookers like shower sex. You ever try it?"

"Of course I have," she said, sounding somewhat insulted. "In spite of what you may think, I was very adventurous when I was a teenager."

"How about in a swimming pool?" he asked, peeking at her from the corner of his eye. "Or in the _ocean_?"

"House, I know where you're going with this, so regardless of how many erotic places you can think of to have sex with me, it's not happening. I'm known as Miss Celibacy, remember? It's going to take a lot more than mental visuals to lay me."

House took a deep, dramatic breath. "Then tell me, Miss Celibacy, what will it take to lay thee? I'll get started on it."

Cuddy played along. She sat up and folded her legs Indian style, wearing a smile. "Well, first it'll take a halfway decent man who doesn't make me want to kill myself every time he opens his mouth. Second, he needs to know what to _do_ with that mouth. Third, he better have some kinky massage oils and edible lubricant," she purred, twitching her eyebrows. "And then, maybe some bondage toys, dressing up like a dominatrix with extra hoops to hold onto when he pulls out the whips. You know, that sort of thing."

House shuddered the moment she mentioned bondage toys and almost completely turned off at the dominatrix comment. "That's not a halfway decent man, Cuddy, that's a killer! Sorry, but I don't intend to beat you for your perverse pleasure. Contrary to popular opinion, it's not my style."

Cuddy laughed aloud. "I'm kidding, House!" She lightly backhanded him against the arm. "The most I would use is maybe a toy here and there and edible lube, depending on my mood."

"The lube I understand, but why would you need a toy if you already have the real thing?"

Cuddy smirked and raised her eyebrows. "There is more than one place to play with, House."

House's sexual euphemisms rubbed off on her. Either that or she was giving him a taste of his own medicine. His jaw dropping expression cracked her up, filling the entire cave with loud laughter. House completely blanched.

"You…_there_?" he asked, sounding as if it was completely unheard of. "There's no way you're queen of celibacy, I don't care what anyone says."

Cuddy just continued to laugh, but even harder now as she rendered House completely traumatized.

"I'm seeing you with whole new eyes now," he said, drawing the crab back and examining it.

"Never tried that before on your hookers?" Cuddy asked casually, reaching her legs out and crossing them at the ankle.

"How about we drop the subject before I lose this crab and start ravishing you where you stand."

"Good thing I'm not standing," she countered with a giggle.

He took the crab into his hands, but momentarily forgot about it as he turned to look over at Cuddy. "Okay, seriously, what is up with you? First, you slip me little hints, then you push me away, then you have sex with me, _then_ you push me away again, call it a mistake, make me drop the subject, and now you're making snide remarks about sex and throwing everything back into the pot. Which is it?"

"What, I can't talk about sex without you thinking I want it?" she asked. "It was a joke, House. Do I have to watch what I say around you now?"

"If it's about sex, yes," he said, pulling a leg off the crab and handing it to Cuddy. "You have the first bite. If you die, I know it's poisonous."

She rolled her eyes and took the crab leg. "It won't be poisonous, House."

Cuddy recoiled as she heard the hard snapping of the shell when House pulled it apart. He grunted, followed by a hum.

"What is it?" Cuddy asked.

"It's not done all the way," he said, slipping both halves back onto the stick and hovering them over the fire.

Cuddy didn't really care. She bit down on the leg and extracted a sort of white-ish string cheese-like something or other that tasted like heaven.

"I haven't tasted crab this good in years," she said, flicking the leg into the fire.

"That's because it's fresh from the sea, literally," he said, checking the crab to see if it was done. "It's not frozen first like it is in the restaurants."

He handed her half of the crab when it looked done to him. Cuddy started first by eating the legs. Both of them ate in silence, devouring the crab. It didn't take longer than a minute for the both of them to finish.

"Go find another one," Cuddy demanded, tossing the shell outside into the sand somewhere.

"_You_ go find another one," he said, tossing the stick with the pointed edge at her. "Good luck."

Cuddy didn't argue. She was hungry and didn't think twice. She snatched the stick and left the cave, promising to come back with at least two more.

------------------

"So I don't have a job…just like that," Cameron said as she, Chase, and Foreman gathered in Wilson's office just as the evening fell. They had just found out about Feeney's plan to cut Diagnostics from the budget as they were treating their last, and evidently, their final patient. "He can't do this!"

"I'm afraid he can," Wilson said. "He has the power, he has the right."

"Screw the right!" Foreman exclaimed. "He can't shut down an entire department overnight! He needs to give notice first!"

"Where's Cuddy when you need her?" Chase piped up from the back, arms folded.

Silence fell in the room. Wilson and Cameron's heads hung, Foreman stared off, glaring at the wall, and Chase merely looked bored.

"So I guess we won't be here to know if House and Cuddy return safely," Foreman said.

"I think you already know your answer on that," Chase said, sounding almost bitter.

Cameron and Foreman's heads turned to frown at him. Chase looked surprised, as if he didn't know the reason they were looking back at him.

"What?" he asked with a shrug. "Okay, seriously, how long has it been? Five days, six tomorrow? If they aren't found now, they never will be. I'm sorry to spoil the great ending, but they aren't coming back."

"Why don't you go home," Foreman said, angry Chase said this. "Go put your feet up and enjoy unemployment. We don't need you here."

"Why? Because I can handle the truth and you can't?"

"It may be the truth, but you don't have to be such an ass about it," Cameron said, fuming at him. "You're the only one out of all of us that respects House. Why do you hate him all of a sudden?"

Fair question. Unfortunately, it was one that couldn't be answered.

"Go home, Chase," Foreman said, not waiting for an answer.

"No," he said. "I have just as much right to be here as you guys do."

Just then, Wilson's phone rang. All eyes went to Wilson when he answered it hurriedly, clenching a fist lightly. Before he started shouting, his fist tightened. Neither of them had ever heard him yell before, but that was the least of their worries. He had good reason to.

"Listen, you son of a bitch, that's my best friend and my boss out there!" he shouted into the phone a little ways into their conversation.

Cameron threw her hand over her face. She could already guess what happened.

"They called off the search," Wilson told them, slamming his phone down on the desk.

"Why?" Foreman asked.

"Lack of funds." He folded his hands and rested his chin on them, appearing to be deep in thought. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"What _can_ you do?" Foreman asked.

"Look, can it really be so bad without House and Cuddy here? We're already being laid off, so it's not like we'll ever be back here again," Chase said, evidently not understanding why everyone was making such a fuss about House and Cuddy.

"That's not the point!" Cameron said, looking back at him with tear stained cheeks.

Chase saw them. "Oh, I forgot, your reason is different than everyone else's."

"And what reason is that?" Foreman asked angrily, staring him down.

"You think I'm still in love with House, is that why you're being such a jerk?" Cameron asked. "Why can't you just think of it as me being worried for him without thinking I need to have a reason other than the fact that I see him as a friend?"

Chase scoffed. "House is not a friend."

"He's still a person, a person that we know and respect. And so is Cuddy. I shouldn't have to explain this to you." She slapped her hand to her forehead. "I got a headache."

"Because you haven't had anything decent to eat in days," Foreman said, knowing this was true. Cameron never left the hospital since the incident happened, not once. She stayed here, showered here, used up all her extra clothes, and slept wherever she could, but lately the place of choice was in Wilson's office. He refused to leave also.

"Do you feel faint?" Wilson asked.

Cameron shook her head and sat in the nearest chair. "Probably just tired."

"Well…I guess I'll be off," Foreman said, following a sigh. He gently rubbed Cameron's shoulder. "You going to be okay?"

Cameron nodded, keeping her hand over her face.

Foreman left shortly after that, taking Chase with him. They didn't need the added extra pressures of him being there.

"Are you really okay?" Wilson asked after the two were gone. She could've just said that as a cover up. They've spent enough time together after the incident for him to know when something's grabbing at her.

Cameron shook her head, removing her hand. "I know they're out there. I can't accept the fact they could be dead because I don't feel that they are."

Wilson bit his lower lip before speaking. "I don't think they are either." He swallowed hard. "But…even if they are, they stopped the rescue attempts. They'll never be found."

Cameron felt her body weigh twice as much after being reminded of that. "So what can we do?"

Wilson took a deep breath. "When they exhume the plane from the ocean floor, they're going to check the roster and see who's there and who's not. If House and Cuddy aren't among the plane's inhabitants, I'm taking a leave of absence and going to Hawaii for sure. For one, I will know they're out there once the status comes back, and two, I'm not working for an adolescent like Feeney. I'll probably end up getting fired anyway."

"You don't know that."

"He and I aren't going to see eye to eye. He already came to me and complained about my textbook researchers drinking coffee in the lab, saying something about how spilt coffee could ruin keyboards, I don't know. It's foolish."

Cameron just shook her head in disbelief. "This place is going to fall apart without Cuddy."

Wilson rested his elbows on his desk. "Her parents called today; actually her father did, asking me when her funeral was."

Cameron grimaced heavily. "What?"

"Makes me wonder what kind of relationship she had with her father."

"What did you tell him?"

"I said I didn't know. I'm not exactly in a hurry to bury an empty coffin."

"Are they coming in? Where do they live, anyway?"

Wilson shrugged. "Out west somewhere. They're coming at some point during the next couple of days and plan to stay in Cuddy's house until they make arrangements on what to do."

"So they accepted that their daughter was dead and that's it? No questions asked. They're just willing to give up without starting?" Cameron was horrified. She didn't know the relationship Cuddy had with her parents, but what could be so bad that they could care less what happened to their daughter?

This certainly wasn't going to be a good visit with them.

"What about House's parents?"

"Blythe called me right after she saw the news yesterday. She was in complete hysterics. I could hardly make out the words she was saying."

"Is she coming down?"

He nodded. "I'm hoping to talk to all of them at the same time somewhere. I only want to say it once. Will you be my wingman?"

Cameron nodded. She didn't want to see him going at this alone for various reasons. The main reason is that three out of the four parents looked at this as a chore rather than their child missing and probably dead. The only one who would care is Blythe. John would probably show he cared for a little while, but then probably get bored and want to go home. No one knew Cuddy's parents, but the way her father sounded, he definitely made the preparation of her funeral sound like a chore.

This wasn't going to be fun.

-----------------

**Please review! Thanks for reading! :)**


	10. I Have All I Need Right Here With Me

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! I loved each and every one of them!**

**Enjoy :)**

**-------------**

It took a while, but Cuddy finally came back with two more crabs. It was way past sundown when she returned. She looked like hell.

"It's about damn time, woman," House said, keeping himself busy by drumming his fingers along the floor of the cave and getting lost in a beat he made up. He froze when he noticed her covered with sand from her hair to the cuffs of her torn pants. "What the hell happened to you? Did you have to wrestle the mama crab for her babies?"

"Shut up," she murmured, throwing the crabs at his feet. Good thing they were dead. That shocked House.

"Wow, Cuddy, you killed them and everything! I thought you were a humanitarian."

Cuddy didn't look in the mood for his sarcastic pleasantries. She shook the sand off as best she could before entering the cave.

"You could've come to help me," she grumbled, crawling into the cave.

"Now where would be the fun in that? I'd rather watch that cute little ass of yours chase after the critters." He chuckled. "I like how you dove after one of them and landed on your face."

She glared at him while taking a seat. "You never know when to stop, do you?"

House would've said something clever to follow, but stopped when he saw her look at her hand. Blood dribbled down both sides of her hand in a thin line. "What happened?" he asked, almost sounding like he cared.

Cuddy didn't want House to notice it and quickly lowered her hand. "It's nothing; I just…fell and scraped my hand along the edge of a seashell."

"Or are they bites from a crab?"

Cuddy shook her head.

"Come on, Cuddy, I saw you dive after one of them." He wondered why she would lie to him.

"But I never caught it," she said. "Instead, I scraped my hand on a seashell. Just let it go."

"And risk you getting an infection? I don't think so." He grabbed one of the seashells filled with water, along with a waxed leaf and shifted over to her. "I'm not having you die because of something this stupid."

"I won't die because of a scrape made by a seashell, House," she said, but let him have her hand anyway. "If anything, I'll die from the toxins on the leaf or the salmonella in the streambed water."

He took her hand and purposely squeezed it, causing her to yelp.

"House!" she scolded.

He apologized, but didn't mean it. "If there was salmonella in the water, you would've died a long time ago. Although it looked like you could care less from the way I found you with your face in the water on our first night here."

"I felt like I was dying without water, House. And you wasted no time sticking your head in, too. Don't make this about me."

"Just…shut up already." He examined the cut. It went perpendicularly on the palm of her hand, right from in between her ring and middle finger, all the way down to the base of her wrist.

"Jesus, Cuddy," he said, eyes wide.

"It's not deep," she said, feeling the urge to take her hand back.

"Looks like it was created by the sand dollar from hell," he commented.

"Are you going to clean it or criticize me?" she asked. "It's not like I did it on purpose."

Holding her hand by the roof, he dipped the waxed leaf into the water and then pressed it gently to the palm of her hand, wrapping his fingers around the edge, mimicking a holding hands position.

"Like that's really going to work," Cuddy said, dropping to her occasional pessimistic attitude.

"It worked for the cut at your side, right? How is it that you're getting cut up like crazy and I don't have a scratch on me?"

"Because you're a lazy jerk who sends me out to do all the dirty work while you sit around in here creating music compositions with your fingers," she spat. "Either that or you push me because you're too proud to accept my help whenever it is you finally do go out there."

House smirked, despite her reminding him of his weakness. "Are you sexually frustrated?" he asked, dabbing the cut with the leaf.

"No," she grumbled. "I'm just frustrated."

She tossed her head back with a sigh, willing herself to relax. "I never want to chase another crab for as long as I live."

"Better get used to it," he said lightly brushing his fingertips across her hand. "If that's what you want to eat instead of bananas."

"I'm not eating again until we get rescued."

"That could be a while, Cuddy. It's already been five days; do you really think help is coming? They don't even know where we are and we haven't heard a single plane fly over us. We wasted time making an SOS out of tree branches our second day."

Cuddy furrowed her brows. Her mouth dropped. "How can you sound so damn calm?"

He washed away the excess blood around her hand and applied pressure with a dry leaf.

He slowly shrugged. "Well…because one, it's pointless to be angry now when there's nothing we can do about our current situation, and two, I don't really have anything to go back to. I have all I need right here with me."

Cuddy's facial expression loosened up. Her eyes widened a few centimeters. House shifted his eyes away from hers and concentrated on her hand. He embarrassed himself slightly by saying that.

"It stopped bleeding," he said, bringing his tone down a few notches. He removed the leaf, but not his hand. "You'll be fine."

Cuddy thanked him, tone around the same level as his. He glanced up at her, but only for a second before shifting himself back in front of the fire that was slowly dying. The back of their cave was used to store twigs, grass, and whatever else that kept the fire burning hotter and longer. She got to her feet and hunched over, stepping to the back of the cave. House watched her carefully as she grabbed both a mixture of grass and twigs. She handed them off to him and took a seat on her makeshift bed.

Once the fire was alive again, House cooked the crabs, one after the other. He gave the first one to Cuddy and kept the next one for himself. He didn't say anything while he cooked, creating an uncomfortable silence for minutes. Cuddy pulled her hair back with a provisional hair band she made out of a flimsy material she found up at the streambed earlier today. Her hair was becoming extremely unmanageable because of the salt drying it up. She needed to get it off her shoulders. The hair tie worked like a charm because of her hair thickening, due to the heat and the stress, although tonight was cooler than usual.

Was House right? Did they stop looking for them? Were they even looking to begin with? Have they really drifted that far off course that they had no chance in being rescued? Was she really destined to die on a deserted island with House of all people?

"What about you?" House asked, tossing the remains of the crab out into the sand once he was finished.

"What?" she asked. She tried not to appear shocked that he was finally talking to her. He still wasn't looking at her. He stared past the fire and out onto the beach, which was visible under the stars. He took 'Harry' into his hands and tossed it idly back and forth between each hand.

"Do you have anything to go back to?"

Cuddy had given it some thought. "I'm worried about my hospital…But I'm sure they were able to find a replacement that will take care of it," she said in a small, hurtful voice. "My mom will miss me…until the funeral is over. My dad and my sister will show they care just to show people they actually have hearts, but once they're in the same room together…they'll talk about how much I let the family down and that I got what I deserved."

House glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Cuddy brush away a few tears that escaped her eye. He could tell she was thinking about this for some time now. It was on her mind somewhere.

"What could you have possibly done to let your family down?"

"I…have a life and they're jealous of it. It was practically set in writing and put on a pedestal when I was born that I was to marry a Jewish doctor. I became one instead."

House frowned. "You mean to tell me that your parents have a grudge against you because you became a doctor?" He couldn't believe that for a second. "There must be more involved."

Cuddy shook her head solemnly. "No…there really isn't. It's just that." She sighed heavily. "So, no, I guess I don't really have anything to go back to, other than my hospital, a warm bed, shelter, and food in the house."

Her lighthearted comment got House to chuckle.

Cuddy continued, "I can trust my parents to take care of my things. The greedy jerk my dad is, he'll probably want to sell everything off for the highest value price and also walk away with my pension. My mom, who has somewhat of a conscience, will tell him not to take advantage of it, but won't stop him from taking it. She'll also dip her greedy fingers into the Lisa Cuddy cookie jar."

House scoffed. "If they walk away with your pension, they'll be set for the rest of their lives."

"No. If it's withdrawn before I turn a certain age, they take like half out in taxes or something. I don't know, I never really looked into it yet. I didn't plan on retiring for at least another thirty years."

House shrugged. "It's still a hefty sum. What is it, over a million?"

"No, not that much. So far, it's halfway there. I contribute once a month and have been since I started my first job. I also have other accounts I deposit towards…A new car, new furniture…An account for a baby…"

House was surprised. "I didn't know you were still trying." This was news to him.

She nodded. "I quit for a few months, but then I tried again without anyone knowing." More tears came to her eyes. "I lost them both six weeks into my pregnancy. I don't know what it is! There's nothing wrong with my uterus, there's no family history of miscarriages, I'm physically fit, my stress level's up only when you're around…"

House laughed quietly. "Yeah, that tends to happen. But seriously, Cuddy, don't quit just because of a few miscarriages."

Cuddy shot him a look. "Okay, House, maybe to you, they're nothing but a couple of mere mishaps, but to me, I lost three lives. It's like I killed three people. That's three different times my heart broke because my body betrayed me."

House scoffed. "Your body didn't betray you."

"I guess I just have to deal with the fact that I can't have children. But it doesn't really matter anymore anyway because I'm stuck here for the rest of my life."

House hummed. "So that's a yes on having something to go home to after all, other than your hospital and a warm bed."

Cuddy dropped her head, watching her hands fumble around on her lap. "I would've like to try to adopt."

"You'd never be accepted," House said straight away, as if he was ready for her to mention that. "You may have sufficient income and a secured residence, but you're a single mom who works around the clock. They'd size you up in one visit. DCF frowns on single moms anyway."

Cuddy grunted. "Thanks for blowing that hope right out of the water, House." If she wasn't feeling miserable already, she would be now.

"Who says you still can't have a baby?"

"I'm three thousand miles away from home, remember?"

"And only two feet away from the freshest sperm on the market."

Cuddy's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? House, we're stranded on an island. I'm not bringing a child into that!"

He shrugged. "We might be rescued. Don't knock it until about five years from now," he said, trying to sound serious, but was really full of shit.

"Okay, well, if we are rescued, maybe when we get home I'll…think about it, but right now, it's out of the question. You just want an excuse to sleep with me again."

House dramatically gasped. "Why Cuddy I'm hurt."

She chuckled and laid down on her good side. "It's true."

House laid beside her on his back, tucking his arm behind his head. Cuddy snuggled up next to him once he was settled in, using his shoulder as a pillow. His arm held her close to him. They never did this last night because of her being in one of her moods. She never realized how much she missed his closeness.

House never put out the fire. They needed it tonight. It was a much cooler night than the previous ones. Cuddy shivered as she sought after warmth between her and House.

"Cold?" he dumbly questioned.

"A little."

"I know what'll warm you right up."

"House," she stated strictly.

"It will, right?" He sounded as if he had the answer to her problems, but really did it for himself.

Cuddy took a deep breath and let it out. "If I sleep with you, will you leave me alone for about a week?"

House raised his eyebrows. "Only if I can get some at the end of that week. Because by then, my Vicodin will be well gone and I'll need something to distract me."

She propped herself up onto her elbow. "You do realize that I don't want it. I'm only giving it to you so you'll shut up."

He frowned. "Where's the fun in that? I at least want my blow up doll to be squirming beneath me."

"Fine, I'll do that."

"Nope," House said simply.

"Nope what?" she questioned.

"I'm not moving from this position. You're going to be on top."

"I hate being on top. And not just with you, but with everyone. And if you're going to be the one taking me, I get to choose my position. You're doing all the work, so it's either top or side for you."

"Oh quit making this all about me, Cuddy. You want it just as bad. Who can turn down sex with the great Greg House?" He clearly took pride in his sexual talents.

Cuddy chuckled. "I'm sure you say that to all your hookers."

"Come on, seriously, now. How can I be stuck on this island with the only woman in the world that doesn't like sex on a daily basis? Out of all the millions of women in this world that _love_ sex, I get stuck with you. God, even at this point, I think Cameron would be much better company than you."

"I like sex, House, I just don't feel it has to run my life like other people do, including you."

"It's not running your life here; it's merely taking a few hours of boredom away. Get rid of your damn standards and have fun. It's not like anyone will see us again to judge us. It's just you and me, baby, all alone on a huge island. The only ones who will hear about us having sex is _us_. The trees, rocks, and sand will know about it, too, but luckily they don't have mouths to blab it onto other formations and—"

"Okay, I get your point. Wow, you really talk a lot when you want some."

"You're just not turned on because I didn't say the right things. Something different sparks every woman's sexual urges. What turns you on? Dirty talk? If you want…we can try out that dominatrix thing."

Cuddy's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Minus the leather outfit and all, but I'm sure I could find a stick and tie some sharp grass to it to create a cat-o-nine if you miss the sensation of home."

A smirk came to Cuddy's face. "You just turned me on."

It was seriously that easy? "How can you be admitting to me you like that sort of thing, but won't have simple sex with me without me begging?" Cuddy was more complicated in the sex department than he thought!

"I'm going to have sex with you now, so shut up."

"Really? Looks like I hit the jackpot! Rawrr!"

She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth, sultry and hard. He pressed her face closer to his by pushing down on the back of her head.

"We don't have to use a whip," she said, smirking through the kiss. "We'll save that for when we get home."

"I'll dress up as a dominatrix afterward if you put on the sexiest lingerie you own and give me a lap dance."

"You got it," she breathed and slipped her tongue back into his mouth, greedily claiming it as her own.

Wow…who knew that talking dirty would turn Cuddy on? For someone who didn't get a lot, the dirtiest kind of sex appealed to her. If only House knew this sooner, he would've talked dirty from the start!

"No hard feelings?" she asked, dipping her hand inside, past the lining of his shorts.

"None."

---------------

Six days later, Wilson's phone rings. It's from someone who took part in exhuming the plane and its entirety. It's the call that Wilson's been on the edge of his seat for during the past week. He had never felt so nervous in his life as the person on the other line introduced himself and what his position was on the team of recovering the plane. This would determine it all. This would determine if Wilson took a leave of absence and went to Hawaii, it would decide if House and Cuddy were alive, and it would verify if there were bodies in the coffins at the funerals.

All the weight that accumulated on his shoulders ever since the crash was lifted right off when whatever his name was told him that House and Cuddy's bodies were not among the listed. But then he added that a small number of the passengers on the roster weren't there, bringing some of the weight back onto his shoulders. The bodies were brought to a lab in Hawaii where they were firmly identified and shipped home to be buried. There wasn't much left to the plane from what he said. He told Wilson that because it hit the water at such a fantastic speed, the cabin blew up under the water, promptly taking many people with it. Air meeting water. It was classic physics. Wilson knew that's what would've happened if he gave it a thought. He had other things to worry about other than the plane blowing up.

It is possible that House tried to do something at the last minute to save them and didn't finish in time. He could've been ejected from the plane when it imploded under the water.

However, Wilson still vowed to head to Hawaii and request another search attempt. With a generous offer, they would be willing to give another good day's search.

After the phone call, Wilson paged Cameron. She was downstairs with House's parents getting a bite to eat in the cafeteria. He sighed long and hard, sitting back into his chair. He was so confused. But at least their bodies weren't found! That was a relief and a half!

While waiting for Cameron, Wilson called Cuddy's parents at her house to tell them the news. He cringed while dialing her number. Would they even care? He hadn't met them face to face yet, but talked to her father the night they arrived in New Jersey. He sounded as if he was just interested in getting Cuddy's things, selling the house, getting the money, and going back home. Wilson couldn't help but muse to himself how he and House would get along very well.

Cuddy's sister, Karen, answered the phone. She was just as bad as her father. Wilson had to wonder how Cuddy turned out to be the only normal one in her family.

Since there were no bodies found to be shipped back, they planned to go ahead with the funeral in two days. Even though they weren't on the roster, they were still assumed dead. At this point, everyone lost hope for them returning. It has been almost two weeks since the ill-fated flight to Japan. Feeney has never been happier. If Cuddy didn't return in the time allotted, he would be officially taking over. As if he wasn't already. He shut down Diagnostics, fired whoever wouldn't stop drinking coffee in the lounge, raised hell in NICU because dried baby formula wasn't kept sealed in a zip lock bag instead of an airtight container, and bitched the night janitors out for mopping the floor with dirty water. To top it off, had designs sent in to remodel Cuddy's office for himself. He didn't like the summer settings that she had in there and preferred more of a white and gray look. But he knew what he was doing. Despite his childish looks and ridiculous rules, he was very smart. Regardless, he wasn't Cuddy. He knew how to do the job like Cuddy and things did get done, but he could never be her. Princeton Plainsboro would never be the same without her.

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**Okay, I'm seriously thinking about a Huddy baby getting into the picture here...but I'm not sure if that would ruin the story or not because of all the other tens of thousands of things going on, it might be a little cramped...so I need opinions! Tell me what you think! It's all about you guys!**

**And as always, thanks for reading! :)**


	11. Blackouts

**Thanks everyone for the reviews and opinions for the Huddy baby! The majority of you said you would like to see Cuddy pregnant on the island, but have the baby when they get rescued. I really like that idea! But those of you who said a baby is unoriginal and said no completely, that might happen also. It depends where my mind and fingers decide to go when the time is right, but opinions help a lot! **

**For this chapter...it's kind of dark and maybe a little out of character on House's behalf, but I couldn't resist! I keep forgetting to add in with the previous chapters that House is running out of Vicodin and heading for some serious detoxing moments. Well, here it is! The ultimate detox...**

**Enjoy :)**

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Ever since House ran out of Vicodin, he made Cuddy's life a living hell. He had no choice but to detox. He detoxed before and it wasn't pretty. Now, it was even worse, given the circumstances. To make matters worse, it rained harder this day than any of the previous days.

It was on day five since they arrived on the island and in the middle of day two without Vicodin. His pain would fade in and out random times a day. It got so bad that he couldn't even walk. He would wake up in the middle of the night at times, just to rub his leg and stop the pain. He needed something to distract him and that usually involved broken bones.

"I need to shake hands with a lobster or something," he said, biting his lower lip as another round of pain waved through his system. Not only did his leg ache, but every other part of him hurt also.

"You aren't hurting yourself to make the pain go away, I told you that already."

"If this island doesn't kill me, the pain will." He tossed his head back and glued his eyes shut.

Cuddy's heart sank as she watched him grit his teeth. She's been witnessing him in pain all week and felt helpless that there was nothing she could do about it.

"It'll get better," she said. "Your body has to adapt to the fact that you no longer have the Vicodin in your system."

"No kidding," he snapped, followed by another grunt as another wave of pain shot through his leg and up his spine.

It was hurting Cuddy a lot worse than it was hurting him just to watch him go through this. Every time he reached the peak of his pain, her stomach would feel as if someone was squeezing the small organ with no signs of release. At some points, his pain would be so bad that it brought tears to her eyes, just imagining what he had to go through. She never realized how dependant he was on his Vicodin.

Their sex lives were practically nonexistent now. They kept themselves busy with sex and relieving stress that way, but up until two days ago, they stopped completely. House ran out of Vicodin two days ago, but there was enough in his system to get him by for a day without much pain. Yesterday, he started to detox, and today, it was the worst it's ever been. Instead of having sex with Cuddy, his mind thought of what bones to break in his body to shift the pain somewhere else. Being on an island with nothing to do really didn't help the situation.

Cuddy rested one hand on his lower back while House remained in a sitting position, rubbing his leg. Cuddy helped him with her free hand.

"I'd advise you to get as far away from me as possible," he said, looking over at her.

The area around his eyes were incredibly red. It was a sickly kind of red. His hands and face were clammy. Cuddy knew right from the start that this would happen once he ran out of Vicodin. She hoped they would be rescued before he had to suffer through it.

"You advised me to get as far away from you as possible since the day you swallowed the half of your last Vicodin and my answer is still the same…No."

House clenched his fists. He hated being so weak in front of Cuddy. He already pushed her away from him once because of it and she ended up with a long scrape down her side. Luckily, he was able to contain himself for the past day, but now that the pain was getting worse, there's no telling what would come out of his mouth.

He wanted to suffer though the pain alone. If there's anything he hated, it was someone sharing the pain with him, regardless of who it was. The fact that Cuddy had her hands all over him and gently coaxing him into relaxing pissed him off. When House was in pain or unable to do something on his own because of his leg, he became very stubborn and anything was capable of coming out of his mouth, even to the only person that would ever love him for him, not because they pitied him, like it was with Cameron.

"Please, Cuddy, just stop." That was about all he could muster up with being calm. If she didn't stop, his next words would probably hurt her. He didn't want to hurt her. He's done too much of that already, but unfortunately, his pain spoke for him in times like this. It's as if his logical thinking was turned over to a higher power while he detoxed.

But Cuddy didn't stop and House felt himself get heated. He couldn't control the words that came out of his mouth.

"Leave me alone, dammit!" he yelled into her face.

Cuddy should know better to let him be, but because of the fear in thinking that he would hurt himself to fate the pain, she couldn't leave him alone.

"Where do you expect me to go, House? It's pouring out there."

"I don't care, just go somewhere, as long as it's not here," he said, voice on the raspy side. The pain in his leg had subsided long enough for him to get his feelings across to her and think rationally, if only for a minute. He sighed, long and hard. "What I just felt…was something I've never felt before. I wanted to break every bone in my body to stop the pain in my leg."

"House, you're really scaring me," Cuddy said, full of concern. "I can't leave you alone like this."

"If you don't…I'm going to hurt you. Not only mentally, but physically." He glanced over to her, eyes saddened, like a little lost puppy. "I have blackouts when I detox. I have no control over my actions. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Cuddy was well aware of what House was capable of while he was angry, but wasn't aware of his blackouts. If his blackouts are anything like when he's angry, it's as if a whole other person took over his body, just to do something for a split second, and then leave. He already pushed her. She knew he was at least do that. What else would he do? Whatever was in store for her at his hand, it wasn't enough to drive her away.

"You…have blackouts?" she asked out of concern in a motherly type of voice. Why hasn't he ever told her?

"Only when the pain gets really bad…and I can't get my mind off it. Breaking a couple of fingers usually cures it."

"We can get through this together," Cuddy said, squeezing the roof of his hand. "You don't need to hurt yourself. Whatever happens, it'll pass."

Their eyes never separated. Both of them looked sad and worried.

"You don't know what you're doing. You don't understand." House whispered, barely moving his mouth.

Cuddy brought her hand up to his cheek and lightly cupped it, caressing the area smoothly with the pad of her thumb. House didn't stop her. She smiled small. "We've gotten this far collectively. I'm not backing down now."

She leaned in and kissed him gently on the mouth. At first, it was her doing most of the work, but as her kiss became more urgent, House joined in. He placed a hand at the back of her head and pressed in to deepen the kiss.

Every time House kissed her, she felt that she could float away at any time. Her heart rate quickened. Even in pain, House delivered the most passionate kisses to her. They weren't quick and messy, they were always slow and loving. Who knew that someone like House could possess such a talent to make a woman go weak at the knees. Good thing Cuddy was sitting.

"Now look who's trying to distract who," he said, recalling how he used his kissing technique to avert Cuddy's attention from the shark, and once while trying to get her pants off. That was merely just to brag that he could distract her with a kiss.

"I wasn't trying to distract you," she said, kissing him a little more before continuing with a smile, "but if it's working, I'm glad."

Cuddy wanted him to take the focus off his leg and this is the only way she knew how to do it without House hurting himself.

She welcomed his hand on her inner thigh and parted her legs for him. Her breathing increased the closer he got to her warmth. However, it abruptly came to an end when his hand was ripped back and used to rub his leg. A shrilling cry bounced off the walls. Cuddy was a tad disappointed that their make-out session hastily came to an end, but her concern for House overrode that. She rested her hand on his shoulder. He brushed it off immediately.

"Stop," he said in a warning voice.

"House—"

"I told you to leave me alone." It was amazing how fast anger took place in his eyes, dominating over passion. His mood switched over so fast that Cuddy didn't know how to respond at first. House finding the ability to grit his teeth and bite his lower lip at the same time to fate the pain had given her the amount of time she needed to make the transition. She didn't care about what he did to her as a result of her staying by his side. It's not like she had a wide variety of options for places to go. It's not like she could run back to her office. Since it was raining heavily out there, so bad that they couldn't see the ocean from the cave, to be anywhere else but in that cave at the moment was impossible. A clap of thunder was heard rumbling in the distance. Unlike a few days ago when the storm passed over them before they could get the thunder and lightning, today it would stick around. The beach couldn't be seen, but the waves could be heard slamming into the shoreline almost repetitively.

Cuddy shifted closer anyway and wrapped her lower arm around his back. That expression 'quit while you're ahead' obviously didn't mean a thing to her.

"Get your hands off me." House was running out of cool, and fast. The heat rose to the surface of his skin and his temples started throbbing.

Cuddy wouldn't let him go. House closed his eyes tightly to not only will the pain in his leg away, but to hold himself back from doing something awful to Cuddy.

His willpower was running out. It didn't take long for his body to take over his mind. When this happened, he had no control of his actions. It's as if he blacked out. He wasn't aware that he twisted his body to the side as best he could, grasped Cuddy so hard by the upper arms that it would certainly leave bruises, and held her like that for the longest time. He knew he was yelling, but didn't know what he was saying. The sane part of House had no choice but to sit back in a completely black room and listen while his pain and anger took over his kinetic functions. It disgusted him fully. He knew that when he snapped out of it, he would feel guiltier than ever for whatever it is that he was doing to Cuddy right now.

He warned her to get away, but she refused. She insisted on getting closer and closer, which in turn, set him off. It's not his fault if something happens to her…right? She knew what she had coming if she didn't leave him alone. She had a taste of it once already. Wasn't being hurt once enough? Did she really love him this much to put up with the continuous assault? For all House knew, he was pulling her hair out while screaming at her. He couldn't control his actions. He had absolutely no self-control.

This was a feature no one knew about the great Gregory House and one that he never felt necessary to have checked out. If he didn't break a bone or cut himself to shift the pain from his leg, the pain would reach to such an extremity so quickly that he had no time to grab a hold of something to keep himself back.

It disgusted him that he was this weak. He only hoped that Cuddy knew how to defend herself.

Cuddy on the other hand wasn't sure how to take this. When House grabbed her by the arms, he pinned her to the floor of the cave and crawled over her. He wasn't all there. She could see the absence in his eyes. But that didn't stop her from being scared.

He sealed their bodies together and went in for a kiss. Cuddy saw it coming, but didn't move. She was too afraid to. He kissed her. It was rough this time and so unlike him. Even his tongue felt differently as it was being pushed into her mouth against her will.

Cuddy tried to picture this as the night where they purely had sex to release tension. Neither of them held back. And since she was already turned on from when he was moments away from touching her, it was easy to think of this as the other night. She wanted it. But he wasn't all there. It did make sense that this was what he meant by blacking out.

"House…" she whispered when his mouth attacked her neck.

He was still in pain, for he would constantly be releasing abnormal groans and moving his leg. Moving his leg meant he also moved his lower half. Cuddy's breath was caught in her throat as he moved against her. He wasn't fully hard, but damn near close to it to the point where it hurt being rubbed against her, even with clothes on.

"Oh god Greg, please snap out of it." As much as Cuddy wanted this, she had to stop it if she could before it got further and he came to and realized what he had done. She didn't want that to be hanging over his head. It's bad enough that he got this far.

He didn't stop. He appeared to be infatuated with her neck. He sucked, licked, and bit anywhere his mouth felt like attacking. Cuddy was positive she would not only have a neck full of hickeys, but small marks from the bites.

"House!" she cried when he grabbed more skin than she thought he would in between his teeth and bit down hard.

This had to stop, for both their sakes. She slid her hands between their bodies and struggled to push him off.

"House, stop!" She couldn't push his unyielding body off hers.

There was a way she could end this. She wished there was another way to stop him, but there really wasn't. He was starting to hurt her. There was no telling what'll happen once they start having sex.

Cuddy bit her lip. This was going to hurt her a lot worse than him. She freed her knee and slammed it up against his leg. It caused House to groan, but he didn't stop. She did it a few more times. Each one of them were useless. He wasn't stopping.

Cuddy waited to try again. He would have to lift up at some point to remove his shorts. Until then, she would live through the assault on her neck.

"Oh…Lisa…" House growled, but made her skin crawl. It didn't sound like House; it sounded like the deep, possessive voice of an angry killer that successfully trapped his prey.

She turned her head to the side and clenched her eyes shut. It didn't look as if he were ever going to leave her neck. She had to take it to the next step herself. She had to get him to make space between them.

She turned her head and spoke low and sexy when her mouth was right beside his ear, "take your pants off."

House may not be all there, but his hearing certainly was. The second Cuddy could get into position, she placed her hands on his chest, fully prepared to push him off her.

She froze.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't hurt him like that. Tears came to her eyes. It was the only way to bring him back to her. He needed to be in pain in order to come around. Fortunately, sex would also release the amount of endorphins to level out the pain in his leg. Even if he wasn't all there, she knew he wouldn't hurt her. He would have some control. The only thing they would have to get over when this was all over was the awkwardness.

Cuddy's mind was set. She wouldn't stop him. She would rather him have sex with her than her having it on her mind that she hurt him.

She still wanted to cry out for him to stop. Maybe if she did, he would snap out of it. It didn't hurt to try.

Cuddy hit him with her hands also, but it wasn't even enough to hurt him, let alone snap him out of it. He just continued onward like she didn't have a voice anymore. If his mind was substituting in a voice for her, it definitely wasn't telling him to stop.

House let out a throaty groan when Cuddy reached out and stroked his length. Maybe just making him come was all it took. If they went all the way, House would hate himself for it once he woke up. Cuddy didn't want things to be anymore embarrassing between them than they already were going to be.

Plus, she wasn't foreign to performing this sort of action on House. He made her give him a hand-job at least once every sex session. He said it was the way she slowly moved her hand around his length, but Cuddy knew it was because he was a sex-crazed manipulative bastard who complimented her work only so she would keep doing it.

If House was all there, he would admit to her that this was the best hand-job to date. She made him come. Groans from House filled the cave.

After that effortless action, hope filled Cuddy's eyes.

"House…?"

He made eye contact with her after his body stopped trembling from the orgasm.

"Are you back?"

It would appear he was. His eyes went wide as he looked at her beneath him. He immediately shifted himself off her, jaw dropped. She was still clothed, which was good. He, however, was not. He was naked from the waist, down.

"Dammit, Lisa, I told you to go!" he yelled, snatching his shorts once he found them.

Cuddy wasn't angry. If anything, she was scared about his condition.

"How long have you been having blackouts?" she asked, using her doctor voice, like nothing just happened.

"Since the first time you made me detox," he snapped, throwing his shorts back on. He couldn't bare to look at her. "If I didn't break my fingers the morning after, it would've just kept happening. I was in my living room and then before I knew it, I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror with a different change of clothes on, ready to go to work. It was the next day."

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, surprised she never heard about this before.

"Because I never thought I'd be sharing a cave with you in the middle of a fucking deserted island, that's why! My blackouts happened at home where no one could get hurt!"

"House, you could've easily left your apartment and hurt someone, or hurt yourself," Cuddy said, tears coming back to her eyes. He was turned away from her the entire time.

"Hurting myself is usually how I become conscious again. I cut myself shaving and didn't know it," he said, voice significantly lower. He dropped his head to stare downward. "Just leave it alone, Cuddy. The next time I want to break my hand, shut up and let me."

Cuddy bit her lower lip as tears fell from her eye. She had no idea he was holding something this vital from her.

Silence fell between them for the longest time.

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	12. Recreational Fun At Its Best

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**Enjoy :)**

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It had finally stopped raining last night. The entire previous day it rained like crazy. The streambed was filled to the max, and then some. It was good news for Cuddy. Since the water in their seashells were gone, and there was no rain in sight for tonight, Cuddy had to make the legendary trip up to the streambed at the crest of the island.

With nothing to do because of his leg keeping him immobile, House kept himself busy by creating little trinkets in the cave. He made a mock knife out of a narrow- edged rock that he spent hours sawing down until the edge was sharp enough to split open coconuts, but not too sharp to where the rock would start to break apart. Cuddy was thrilled about the coconuts, not only for the hard inside shell being used to hold more water than the seashells, but because she discovered that coconut milk and oils from melting the coconut over the fire created a godsend with providing as a mock aid for washing her hair and body. With the help of smashed bananas, her hair was as perfect as it was before they were stranded and even though she reeked highly of coconuts from the oils, her body felt clean again. Granted, it wasn't the highly sophisticated shampoos and body washes that could be found in stores, but it was something in a pinch and worked nicely. She used the flooding streambed to wash herself and since she was the only one up there, she was able to strip to nothing while she discovered this luxury.

House also wanted to advantage of this find. Body odor isn't exactly appealing to him. When you can smell yourself, you know it's time to do something about it. Now they had to do something about their clothes. There's nothing more degrading than getting clean and putting on the same clothes you took off. House would feel this way also when he was able to leave the cave and clean himself.

"Think the coconut milk will work on the clothes?" Cuddy asked after returning from the streambed and giving him a half a coconut filled with fresh water. She felt even dirtier than before from having to put back on the same clothes she's worn now for the past six days.

House grimaced. "It's bad enough I smell it in your hair. I don't want to smell it on your clothes, too," House said, wrinkling his nose. "Saltwater is good for washing clothes. Or if you don't like that option, you can always hang your clothes over a branch and pray for rain, but I don't think you want to walk around naked. Although…" His eyes ate her whole as he scanned her body, "I certainly wouldn't mind."

Cuddy sighed. She half ignored the fact that House eyed her hungrily after his own suggestion. "I guess that's what I'm going to have to do. Saltwater and these pants don't mix." She remembered the rash she had their second day on the island.

"Aww…and here I was going to ask you if you wanted to go swimming," House said, half-joking.

His leg was feeling better, but not to the point where he should risk it by going swimming. Sitting in the same spot for days gets old. It would be a blessing to try to go swimming.

Cuddy frowned. "Well…you have your sense of humor back, that's good. I guess the climax of your detoxing has passed." She stopped to widen her eyes as House turned onto his side and hoisted himself up with a small grunt to a standing position. Usually, he would only use his left leg to stand, but Cuddy witnessed him putting a tiny bit of pressure on his right leg also.

"House, you really shouldn't be standing," she said, expressing her concern.

Ignoring her, he grabbed his mock cane and limped out into the day light. The late afternoon rays from the sun touched his face. It felt amazing after being stuck in the cave for the past two days with doing nothing except playing with rocks and fantasizing about stupid things, like learning how to make the fire hotter with the use of different types of leaves and hairs from the coconuts. He already discovered over fifteen different types of plants and leaves on the island and Cuddy joked about him becoming a botanist when this was over. With the lack of nothing better to do, he compared veins in leaves and other things someone would have to be extremely bored in order to be doing. There was only so much one could do with the naked eye before it gets boring. Not House. He found it fascinating.

And now, he was just happy to be out of that cave. For a split second, he pondered about sleeping on the beach tonight, in spite of any wind that might come across them tonight.

"House, come on, go back in there," Cuddy said, mustering up her best mothering voice.

"I'm going swimming," he said and pressed onward, even though it was very awkward for him to walk in sand. It couldn't be any easier than it was when he had Vicodin. The uneven steps must be hurting him.

Cuddy followed after him with pure concern. "You can't swim," she reminded. "If you go in there, you'll be in even more pain than you are now and probably drown."

"Who says I'm in pain?" he asked, reaching the shoreline and tossing aside his cane once he was able to gain the proper footing. The majority of his weight was on his left leg. The tender waves crashed in at their bare feet.

"You're detoxing, you have no idea what you're saying." She took him by the arm. He was actually going to go into the water! She looked up at him. The fear of him having another reason for doing this crossed her mind. Maybe he was still in pain and since Cuddy wouldn't let him break any bones, he would try going under the water and holding his breath until his lungs popped. It was a crazy idea, but she wouldn't put it past him. She really hoped this wasn't another blackout.

House continued to stare out across the water, as if he was having second thoughts. Cuddy was hoping that was his reason for the long stare. She looked into his eyes. They were full of concentration, as if he was moments away from conquering his biggest fear.

There must be something symbolic behind this. If he wasn't going into the water solely to find a clam with an open shell to step on, there was a bigger picture involved, probably one that Cuddy wouldn't understand. With House, it's always profound, one way or another.

"What are you trying to prove?" Cuddy asked. She may not understand his answer, but it's worth a try.

"That I want to try swimming," he said simply and walked further into the water. He was now up to his shins. Cuddy stepped along with him, holding onto his arm. "And that I need to get clean. Go get that shampoo stuff."

Cuddy shook her head. "I know what you're trying to do. You're not going to get me to leave you. If you want to swim, I'm coming too."

House sighed. It's as if he got stuck on the island with his mom. Cuddy's caring voice and hand on his arm pulling him back was getting to be a repetitive nuisance. "Cuddy, haven't you learned yet not to argue with me? Do you think I enjoy you always holding onto me? God, you'd think that after I had my blackout, you would leave me alone."

"It's going to take a lot more than that for me to leave your side, House. Now, come on, seriously, let's get you back into the cave."

Her tone was caring and compassionate. It angered House. She was always stopping him from doing what he wanted. Even now in the middle of nowhere, she _still_ kills his fun.

She held his arm back when he walked further into the cold water.

"Let me go," he said. "Or I will make you let me go." Their eyes met.

Cuddy bit her lower lip. She wouldn't put it past him. She's seen some pretty horrible things come from House in the past six days, including a blackout where he had no idea what he was doing to her. She didn't want him to add on anymore strain to himself. She didn't care if she was sounding too motherly or not. Every time something happened to House, every cry that erupted from a spasm in his leg made her heart go out to him. She wished she could transfer over that pain and have it become hers. She could handle it a lot better than he could.

She wasn't letting him go out there. She pulled him by the arm to give him the message physically that she wanted him to come back up with her.

"Stop pulling me!" he shouted, ripping his hand out of her grasp. "I can swim just fine! I don't need you breathing down my neck every time I want to do something for myself. We're not at the hospital anymore. Like it or not, you can't always tell me what to do."

Cuddy's jaw dropped.

"Just leave me alone," he said, voice quieter. "Leave me alone for one minute and let me do what I want. I'm tired of being your lap dog."

"House…you know that's not—"

"Either make yourself useful and get me the shampoo or wait for me up at the cave."

Cuddy didn't budge.

"Fine. Stay here then."

Cuddy didn't listen. After he hobbled into the water and used his left leg to dive in, she followed slowly after him. He wasn't going in there alone. With his luck, he'd get a cramp in his left leg and drown.

House was a much better swimmer than she first anticipated. She could hardly keep up. He did this purposely.

The water was extremely cold and went straight to her bones. It felt like it was next to freezing. How was he handling the cold so well? Cuddy's teeth chattered. The water definitely wasn't this cold when they jumped from the plane.

She was up to the lower part of her waist when she witnessed House fall under the water many feet ahead of her. There was no warning or anything. One second he was there and the next second he wasn't.

Cuddy's sudden panic made the water seem not so cold. She waded through as quickly as she could, shouting for House. She couldn't seem to move fast enough.

He never came back up from the spot he dropped under. Cuddy's limbs started to grow numb from the worry. For every second that passed was a second she came closer to not seeing him again.

The water was cloudy where she was, so she couldn't duck under and look around. She'd never see him. Cuddy looked around so many times that she didn't know the exact spot where he went under anymore. She stopped just as the water rose a couple inches above her stomach and shouted helplessly for him once more.

She hated herself for letting him go into the water alone. A true feeling of fear zapped her heart. It was a similar feeling to what she felt when their airplane took a dive for the ocean. Tears came to her eyes. It's been over thirty seconds now. Is he flapping around under the water in pain somewhere?

However, before Cuddy could finish beating herself up being and completely empty inside, the feeling of her sides being gripped onto at such a quick rate caused her to scream in surprise. She was pulled forward enough to lose her balance and be dunked completely under the water. With her limbs already being numb with fear, she didn't stand a chance in fighting the surface of the water.

House pulled her up with a classic smirk. Cuddy was furious.

"You son of a bitch!" She hit him on his arms a few times and once on his chest. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Don't like being dunked?" he asked, smirk remaining.

"I'm not talking about the dunk; I'm talking about you falling under water." Her breathing was still a tad bit labored. She placed a hand over her chest to will it away.

"It's payback for you always being such an irritant."

"There are other ways to pay me back!"

House tilted his head in thought. "Right…I could pay you back with sex…since you don't seem to like it in the first place…but that takes your consent."

"Thanks for thinking of me," she muttered and left his side to get out of the water and go back up to the beach.

Just then, her arm was pulled on. The swiftness and surprise of the action caused her to yelp. House enveloped her into his arms and kissed her softly on the mouth. She could taste the remnants of salt and water on his lips, as well as random water droplets that slid down their faces and interfered.

Their kiss kicked up in passion, causing Cuddy to moan in his mouth. Since everyone was weightless under water, it was easy for her to wrap her legs around his waist and seal herself to him without him having the extra strain on his leg. She rocked her hips gently against his.

"I've never done it in the water before," he admitted, trailing his lips down her jaw line and to the side of her neck that wasn't assaulted during yesterday's blackout.

Cuddy tilted her head to give him better access. She parted her lips to speak, but a moan came out instead. Her eyes fluttered closed. She tried to resist him, but it was very difficult. It took a lot of strength to speak, let alone tell him what was on her mind.

"House…" she moaned.

"Hmm?" He was too busy with her neck and throat to form actual sentences.

"We can't do it in the water," she whispered, hating herself for saying that. "Saltwater will kill me."

House remembered the rashes. Cuddy would be in agony for days if saltwater got up there. As much as he hated to do so, he backed down with a whispered cuss. He planned to ravish her once they got onto the beach. As soon as they reached the shoreline, she would be meeting the wet sand.

He held her in a cradling position with her arms wrapped around the back of his neck. He never held her like this before. It was made possible with the help of the water. He couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. She was so beautiful. It's as if he was noticing her for the first time.

He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve the love in his heart that he felt for her.

Cuddy was smiling a smile that told him that she was wholly and without a doubt in love with him. Her face lit up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. He had never seen that look before. It's hard to see love just by searching someone's eyes. He could stand miles away and still see it in her eyes. It was love for him and him only.

Why did she feel this way about him? What was so special about a manipulative bastard who believed solely in self-preservation and that people are idiots? It was hard for him to wake up and look himself in the mirror every morning. Someone like Cuddy deserved better. He didn't feel worthy of her love and dedication.

She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Apparently, she forgot they were still in the water. He walked a few steps with her and then stopped. The pain that came to his leg made it feel like she weighted a lot more than she should.

"I can't carry you any further, Cuddy," he said, sounding saddened that he couldn't.

"It's okay, House," she said, getting down from his arms.

"No it's not," he said, dropping his gaze to the water. "Any other guy would be able to carry you."

Cuddy took his hand into her own and enlaced their fingers together. "You're not any other guy," she said with a smile. "I don't want you to be."

"You can't possibly be happy with who I am. I can't give you what you want."

He was back to that again. Cuddy chuckled. "You sound like we're married."

House started walking. Cuddy held onto him in case he needed her support. Her helping him was aggravating him. It went without say. Every time she tried to help him, he would shove her away and they would have two go through the runaround with him being macho and throwing a hissy fit while she explains to him that she's doing it because she cares.

She wrapped her hand around his lower back in case he lost his balance. They were now getting closer to the shoreline. The undertow and the rocks didn't make it easy for a regular person to gain the proper footing, never mind House. Cuddy felt herself relying on him for support. He was doing fine.

House allowed her to help him the entire time without yelling at her. That was a first.

Cuddy's muscles were tired. She stuck her hands to her hips and controlled her labored breathing once they were able to stand firmly on the shoreline. "That was like a workout," she said, looking over her shoulder at the waves, which were now breaking at the shoreline a lot more severely.

When she looked back over, House was already half way up the beach, shoulders slouched. Cuddy sighed. It was heartbreaking sight to watch when he was in one of his depressed moods. It must really be something if he forgot about his vow to ravish her on the beach once they got in.

House didn't go back into the cave. Instead, he sat on the beach, legs stretched out in front of him. His head hung low. Cuddy was a little confused by his actions. Was he really upset that he couldn't carry her to the shore? The way the waves were and the undertow's deterioration, no guy could carry a woman in a cradling position through that. He probably felt the way he felt because whereas other people get the option of carrying their loved ones, House has to eliminate that entirely.

Cuddy wished he didn't feel the need to be her hero. She loved him the way he was, leg or no leg. He never tried to prove himself to her before. It was always a take it or leave it attitude with him. Why is he trying so hard now?

Walking up to the beach, she ran her fingers through her hair and grimaced. Now she had to take another bath. Maybe House would want to take one with her…

A smile replaced that frown.

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**Thanks for reading..Please review!**


	13. Opening Their Eyes

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews everyone! *passes out cookies***

**This chapter does contain smut! Just as warning..**

**Enjoy :)**

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"Feeney fired my researchers!" Wilson shouted, stepping into the lounge, breathing fire.

"For what?" Cameron asked, bolting up from the couch.

"He said that it was because one of them spilt their coffee all over some charts, so they all had to suffer the consequence."

"He has no jurisdiction over the matter!" Cameron wasn't too fond of Feeney. He cost her and her colleagues a job and made the most unnecessary changes. He was killing the hospital. Cuddy would probably be in tears over his actions.

Wilson paced back and forth, a thumb hooked over the lining of his pants while his other hand shot up in the air, waving around as he spoke. "And that's not the best part," he said, watching the floor he was treading. "He canceled a majority of Cuddy's benefactors that donate to the hospital. He kept the ones he liked. Remember Lord and Lady Lambeth?"

"Charles and Georgia? Of course I do…Thanks to them, you got that lab in oncology earlier in the year. Don't tell me he cut them off!"

Lord and Lady Lambeth helped out Cuddy a lot with donations. They even went beyond and organized meetings for possible future benefactors. They knew many wealthy people and became a big help to Cuddy.

"He sure did!" Wilson said angrily, finally stopping in his tracks and letting out a loud sigh.

"This is crazy. Next thing you know, he'll think two MRI scanners in one building are unorthodox and end up selling one of them." Cameron threw her hand to her face and shook her head in disbelief. Too many things were going on at once. With Feeney reining over the hospital, House and Cuddy's funerals tomorrow, and the lack of proper sleep, the tear she shed presently wasn't the first one that snuck out during all this. To top it off, they were going to Cuddy's house later on to meet her parents and sister. Cameron never spoken to them, but from what Wilson said, her family was a piece of work. Great…more stressors to add to her life. When does it end?

"Cameron, why don't you go home and take it easy until tonight," Wilson suggested. Since it was only noon and they didn't have to be at Cuddy's until six, Cameron had enough time to go home, get a change of clothes, grab a shower, and settle in for a much needed rest on an actual bed.

Even though her hair accumulated oily buildup and the same clothes had been on her body for the past three days, she refused to leave and actually found it somewhat insulting that Wilson suggested that.

"There's nothing for you here right now."

"But what if the rescue team calls you or the LAPD—"

"No one is calling me, Cameron. They called off the search, remember?"

Cameron still had hope burning through her system. "They might."

Wilson shook his head. "They're done. It's my turn now."

"So…you're really going to Hawaii?"

"Damn straight I am!" Wilson said, a bit on the loud side. "I told you I was."

"I didn't think you were actually serious! I thought you just said it in the heat of the moment. Wilson, they're not going to let you pay to fly an airplane over the Pacific! This isn't a TV show drummed up for dramatic effect where the audience knows that if you go there, they'll let you have your way. What makes you so sure they will?"

"Money is the universal language, Allison. With a generous upfront donation to their organization and reoccurring contributions, I think we can make a deal."

Wilson had it all figured out and sounded positive about it. As odd as this plan was, he sounded very hopeful and determined, as if he was planning this for months as opposed to a week. Coming right down to it, he really didn't have any other options.

"You do know that they're going to laugh in your face, right?"

Cameron knew his idea was bogus. One just doesn't go to Hawaii and slap a check on the table in exchange for one day's use of a helicopter. It just didn't work that way! Wilson would get himself arrested somehow trying to prove his point. Saying no to him at that point would set him off, knowing it's his last hope in finding his best friend and his boss.

Wilson shrugged it off. "I don't care. They didn't do a thorough enough job in looking for them. It's my turn. I won't come back empty-handed. Even if I have to buy a freaking airplane, I will."

Cameron believed that about him. He would blow every dime he had in finding House and Cuddy. He would take out loans and sell things if it came down to it. He would be doing more harm to himself than good. Leaving the hospital for so long might also jeopardize his job. The way Feeney is lately, he would probably fire Wilson once he asked for the leave of absence. At this point, Wilson would gladly clean out his office and tell Feeney to go to hell. Those words were on the tip of his tongue as is. He was just waiting for the right time to use them.

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After dinner, which consisted of crabs and bananas for dessert, much like breakfast and lunch, House and Cuddy turned in for the night. Not that there was much to do anyway. Swimming was obviously out of the question and so was going up to the streambed to get more water. Cuddy would definitely have to go tomorrow. They were completely out of water now and unless it rained tonight, she would have to go.

"I think I'll have to try to go to the streambed tomorrow and wash up. The B.O. was taken away by the saltwater so I think I'm good for tonight, considering you still want to be next to me." House said, drawing Cuddy close to him. This was their usual position—him on his back and Cuddy snuggling next to him. She never wanted to leave his side.

"I always want to be next to you, and you're not going up there," Cuddy said, softly rubbing her hand in small circles on his chest. "I'll bring the stuff to you."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "Coconut shells hold a mouthful of water, maybe one in a half at the most. You'd have to run up there at least ten times to get the right amount of water for the job."

"Well…then I will. I'm not risking you trying to climb up there again."

"Can you stop trying to save me? I walked up there once before when the path was dry, right?"

Cuddy lifted her head just far enough to look over and meet his eyes. "That's back when you had Vicodin, House. You had no pain."

"I have no pain now."

Cuddy frowned. How was that possible? He had to be lying to her. He might have had no pain before he went "swimming," but after that, and what he had to go through, he must be feeling something now. Getting back up to shore while fighting a strong current must've taken a lot out of him.

"Really?"

"Really," he said with a short nod.

She picked her head up and met his eyes. "You're not just saying that so I'll give in, are you?"

"Nope," he said and brought his hand up to cup her cheek. "But it doesn't matter anyway, because you can't stop me. Even with a bum leg, I can always outrun you."

He was right. Cuddy couldn't stop him. It was proved today when she couldn't stop him from the possible injury of going into the water. Even though his life was risked because of his leg, she still couldn't hold him back. Him going through with that was actually a test in a way to see how far Cuddy would go to save him. A small part of that was because House was bored and was in the need of some thrills.

"If you have me pegged for a softy, House, you can forget it. And if you think embracing me will get me to change my mind, you're wrong."

"Care to test that? You know…I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to ravish you when we got to the shoreline."

Cuddy groaned. She loved being close to House and absolutely loved the sex with him, but some nights, like this one, she just wanted to snuggle up with him and talk with him before falling asleep.

House caught on to the meaning of her groan and frowned. "Whatever happen to that woman that I had sex with on the beach the other night? She completely overpowered me and begged me to go harder. Can you find her for me? It's a small island with no way off, she can't be too far."

Cuddy smiled and reached down to peck his lips. "_She_ realized that there's more to Gregory House than just really great sex."

House rolled his eyes. It was his turn to groan. "Come on, Cuddy. Besides, my leg is starting to hurt. Since you won't let me break my hand, at least focus my attention elsewhere."

Cuddy tapped the tip of his nose with her finger. "And you are going to realize that I'm good for something other than distracting pain with sex. And you're not in pain. You think that because you make me feel guilty for you, I'm going to give in. Nice try, I admit."

"Oh will you just shut up and get me up already."

"House, I just want to cuddle tonight," she whined.

"Sex first, and then cuddle." He was very persistent. "But you're going to be on top. I'm not moving."

Cuddy scoffed. "Well, fine, if that's the case, forget it. If you won't meet me half way, I don't meet you at all."

She separated from House and turned over onto her other side. House smirked and turned onto his side, facing her. He snaked over to her and rested his hand on her thigh. She must've expected this because she didn't make a move.

"I bet I can make you change your mind," he said, traveling his hand around her leg and to her inner thigh. Cuddy decided to sleep without pants on, for not only were they getting all torn up, it was muggy that night and they weren't necessary. The only reason Cuddy would be wearing pants is to ward away any wandering hands, such as this one that was feeling up her inner thigh, trying to get her in the mood to meet his continuously uninhibited sexual desires towards anything that walks.

However, Cuddy still wore her thong, which was currently being soaked up as House's fingers poked and stimulated her through the thin material. Cuddy moaned, involuntarily spreading her legs. She swung a leg over House's legs to give him more room.

"See, I knew you wanted me," he whispered in her ear before nibbling on her earlobe.

Cuddy was half on her back and half on her side as House attacked her neck with such urgency that it immediately turned her on. He could always get her in the mood, even if she was nowhere near turned on. All it took were his skilled fingers and a very talented mouth.

Cuddy's eyes fluttered shut and a moan gathered in her throat. She felt his lips over hers. House swallowed her moans as he kissed her ever so passionately. Cuddy responded immediately, digging her fingers into his hair. House never stopped kneading her through her panties, despite Cuddy's hips bucking lightly against his hand.

"You going to be on top?" he breathed against her damp lips.

Cuddy couldn't say no to House. It was one of her greatest weaknesses. If she did say no at first, she would eventually give in and say yes, even if she didn't want to, or it was against how she felt. Being on top really wasn't her thing. Being exposed to someone like that from the front, she didn't like it. She liked it missionary, side, standing, or doggie. Anything but top. Only a handful of times was she ever on top and since her focal point was too much set on what she looked like bouncing up and down, she wasn't fully focused on the action she was getting. Her partner groping her chest helped sway the embarrassed feeling, but never completely washed it away. Being on top with House would not only make her feel embarrassed, she knew she couldn't concentrate. It was really that big of a deal for her. The all-powerful Dean of Medicine had a flaw, and a very unusual flaw at that.

Cuddy was worried about being on top, even as House tried to distract her by pushing the small triangular patch aside and dipping his fingers into her folds. Somewhere in that timeframe, she helped him remove her underwear, although he didn't really need help. His fingers didn't head back to their destination right away. He stopped when he clearly wasn't going to get anything out of her about being on top except for an earful of grunts and groans of pleasure.

"Top?" he asked again.

Cuddy's eyes opened to find his staring hotly down on hers. "My shirt stays on," she said after a small pause, giving in.

"Killjoy," he muttered.

In one unexpected sweep, Cuddy's tank top was off, revealing a braless chest. House took it off so fast that he nearly ripped the thinning fabric.

"House!" she cried out, not knowing what hit her. How he got it off so fast and easy she'll never know.

Even before he put the shirt to the side, House easily shifted Cuddy so she was straddling him.

Cuddy completely blanched. House, however, had a complete opposite expression. He smirked, eyeing her naked body up and down hungrily.

"Was that so hard?" he snarked.

"We didn't do anything yet," she said, barely moving her mouth. The urge to cover her body with her hands came to mind.

House still had his briefs on. Like Cuddy, he felt it was too warm to wear a bottom of some kind. He didn't remove them right away. Instead, he chuckled at Cuddy. It was hard not to. She was like an unmoving statue.

"Are you really that scared about being on top?" He couldn't help but tease her, even though he was growing harder and harder with each passing second that she was on him.

"I'm not scared, House," she said, feeling a bit insulted by that comment.

"Then what's the problem? Insecurity? Don't worry about it. You have an overly fan_tastic_ body, beautiful twins, and if I continue talking about this, I'm going to blow a load right in my skivvies, so let's get on with it."

Cuddy was willing to try it for House. Actually, she really didn't have a choice in the matter. He was going to fuck her in this position whether she liked it or not. If she ever did get the nerve to fight back, he would just end up winning her over with a guilt trip.

"Ever hear of foreplay?" she asked.

House chuckled almost right away. "Not so fast. You're just saying that because once you get off me, you won't come back on. Not a chance," he said, reaching his hands around her to pull off his briefs and letting his erection spring free. No foreplay was necessary. He was just about as hard as he could get without it hurting, although it is possible to expand a few more centimeters, possibly another inch. It doesn't happen often unless he's extremely stimulated and apparently just looking at Cuddy's ass helped him reach that extra inch for the first time. House was amazed with himself. He never measured, but it had to be a good ten inches with the extra inch. The amount of blood that rushed through made it hurt. That's how he could tell he achieved the extra inch. Right now with Cuddy straddling him looking like a scared teenager about to lose her virginity was a massive turn on for him. Flesh met flesh. He bit his lower lip almost painfully as the blood rushed painfully through his erection. No doubt he was able to gain some width on that, too. If she didn't go through with this, he'd go crazy.

Cuddy backed up so now her ass was touching his erection. Her hands met at his stomach as she hunched over a bit. House moaned as his hardness met the crack of her ass. The further she leaned over to him and hiked backwards, the harder it pressed against her.

"You look so unbelievably sexy right now," he said, running his hands down her thighs and to her ass.

Cuddy was still nervous. Her lightly trembling lower lip told House that. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she lowered her lips to his. She took it easy, but House wanted it harder. He pressed at the back of her head to deepen the kiss.

With House bringing his hips forward and pushing Cuddy back a little, he was able to line himself up to his destination. With the initial penetration, he swallowed Cuddy's tiny cries. He was also bigger than last time, meaning she had a few more cries to let out as she began to squirm to guide him, as well as take away some of the uncomfortable feeling this brought. That was an even bigger turn on as she started to wriggle.

"You're too big," she said, realizing she wasn't making any progress.

"Do I really need to start singing Like a Virgin right in the middle of this?" It took a lot of resolve to joke around when all he wanted to do was impale her.

"It's not me, it's you!" Cuddy scolded in a breathless hiss. "You're bigger!"

"Sit up," he ordered, helping her into a sitting position with his hands placed on her hips.

With a sharp gasp, Cuddy gripped House's wrists with both hands as he slowly guided himself inside her. It took immense strength to not thrust inside her in one sweep. Cuddy took him slow. It was painfully slow. Her head tossed backwards and her jaw dropped officially confirmed that he did, in fact, achieve his extra inch. He was very proud of that extra inch. Anything to get Cuddy's jaw dropped and eyes tightly clenched shut was worth it.

Cuddy's hands left House's wrists and went to House's knees behind her. She arched her back, hoping to find some relief. This wouldn't be so hard if they actually had some lubricant to help them along. House tried to initiate some of Cuddy's juices to flow by thrusting a quarter of his length into her and back out again.

"Like a Virgin…_hey_!" House sang, voice going up a notch on the _hey_.

Now really wasn't the time, but Cuddy was very curious to how he knew that song. Instead, she gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Just do it, House," she growled, out of breath. She was already frustrated enough. She didn't need the extra banter.

House thought about it, but was afraid to hurt her. If he could muster up the strength to sing a line from an old Madonna song and be an idiot, he should be able to hold himself back from thrusting his entire length inside Cuddy. But he couldn't. The heat was just so overwhelming. He gripped her hips, bit his lip, and pushed her down, spearing her as far in as he could in one sweep.

A cry of pain erupted from Cuddy. She hunched forward and rested her hands on his stomach, breathing unsteadily. Her hands clenched up his shirt. She had no idea it would hurt that much.

House almost lost it all when her body started trembling.

"You okay?" he asked, lightly and lovingly brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Give me a second," she panted.

"Oh come on Cuddy, I'm not that much bigger." The wait was killing him. It's a wonder he could still talk coherently. It's a bigger wonder on how much of a smart ass he still was.

"Shut up," she spat, glaring into his eyes, breathing heavily.

Her hair covered most of her face in a sweaty, sticky mess. Mixed in with the sudden balmy weather, her position, and a fire in the cave to boot, her face and parts of her body were covered in thin films of sweat.

Nonetheless, she never looked more amazingly beautiful than she does right at the moment. House would remember this minute forever. There's nothing like being inside an incredible babe, barely, with her body trembling because you're too big for her. And if that wasn't enough, you're not only eye level with her, but you get a perfect view of the twins dangling inches from your own chest.

House couldn't take it anymore. He bit his lip one too many times. Holding back was done.

"House!" Cuddy cried in a gasp when he seized her by the hips and withdrew slowly.

He didn't have to move her so much. He just moved his hips downward to thrust out. He held her in place with his hands, half afraid she would leave him.

He pushed back in, bringing her back down, as well as his hips back up. The action was much easier this time. Cuddy producing bodily juices really helped out.

She no longer tried to fight him. She gripped his wrists again for the time being as he did all the work. As wonderful as this position was for her, she still felt a little flushed exposing herself like this to House. Granted, he's seen it all before and would see it just as well if she were on bottom. Cuddy wasn't sure what her issue was, but in being able to be talked into getting this far with being on top, she wasn't backing down now, especially not while it was starting to feel like the best sex she's ever had. She didn't even think about being embarrassed anymore. She joined in on the thrusting with House. For every upward thrust his hips made, hers made downward thrusts. She never missed a beat. She arched her back and placed her hands on each one of his knees that lay flat. House's hands switched from her hips to her chest, depending on how urgent he wanted his thrusts to be.

He was definitely longer. Eventually, he worked his entire length into her. Cuddy could feel the size and width difference. It was most incredible. After getting used to this size, she became addicted. His swift and burning thrusts knocked the wind out of her to the point where her breathing became hard and jagged.

Her body was on fire. She could no longer feel her limbs. House had to stabilize her by keeping a firm hold on her hips and helping her along.

He was closing in on his release. Judging by Cuddy's constriction against his thickness, she was very close, too. Her gasps becoming louder told him this as well.

"H-House, I'm…" She threw her head back in pure ecstasy, jaw dropped and eyes screwed shut.

"Me, too," he told her and sped up his hips a bit.

Cuddy dug her nails into his knees as she came hard, screaming loudly. House continued to thrust into her until he came, filling her to the brim with his seed, grunting her name.

Cuddy collapsed on his chest after that, unable to keep herself in an upright position, shifting her hips slightly so he slipped out of her. She heard his heart beating faster than the previous times they've had sex. His breathing was also more uneven.

"That's what happens when I do my part and lift your ass at the same time," he said when she pointed it out to him.

Cuddy drew her brows closer and slapped him on the chest.

"It's quite a workout."

"Shut up, House. Why do you have to ruin a good moment? That was the best orgasm I've ever had and you're still an ass."

"I'll always be an ass, whether you orgasm for fifteen seconds or if you were a pig and had one for ten minutes. You knew that getting into bed with me. Don't be surprised now."

"I'm not surprised," Cuddy mumbled. "I just hoped that for once you would enjoy the moment and maybe talk about how good I was, seeing as though you coerced me into being on top."

"On the contrary, Cuddy my love, you did not fight me on this. You more than willingly kept your cute ass there. Why are you complaining? God, I think you came more than I did."

"I'm not complaining, I'm trying to prove a point. Can you shut up? You're killing the mood." She lay her head back on his chest and softly rubbed the area beside her head with her hand. His quick beating heart soothed her, as well as the rising and falling of his chest when he breathed.

She could stay like this all night.

"Cuddy…"

"Hmm…?" she moaned, feeling very sleepy.

"Can you get off me now? You weigh a ton."

She met his eyes with hers. "All you had to do was say so, House. You didn't have to say it like that!"

"Sure I did. Now, remove yourself before I die prematurely of suffocation, due to my lungs being pressed on by an _anvil_."

"I hate you," she garbled, making sure to add extra pressure with her body when she rolled off him. She barely made him grunt. He only said what he did about her to be an ass.

"No you don't. You love me and you know it."

Cuddy knew she did and sometimes, like right now, she hated herself for it.

"Just go to sleep, House," she said, turning over onto her other side, away from him. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"Don't tell me you're pissed at me again," he said, also shifting onto his side, facing her back. "What did you think, that just because we're on this island I'm suddenly going to change and be someone I'm not? We could die tomorrow. There could be a sudden hurricane that is so severe that it whips every tree from its roots and lands on us at once, or a giant tidal wave could cover the island and we won't know what hit us."

"What's your point?" she asked.

"Do you really think that after you're dead you're going to give a damn what I said tonight?"

Cuddy twisted only her upper half around, as well as her head, to look at him. "OR we can be rescued and I'll have that memory with me forever."

"You could…but what will it prove? It's a lie."

"No it's not."

"How long have you known me?"

"You've already shown me that you care. In more ways than one."

"If you're talking about the sex…it's just a male being a male."

"It wasn't just in the sex, House. You saved my life on that plane. If it weren't for you…I'd be dead right now."

"I needed company while floating in the water. You're going to be dead anyway. I just prolonged it a couple weeks."

Cuddy sighed angrily. There he goes again, Mr. Pessimistic. "Will you stop already? I'm tired of your negative attitude all the time."

House thrust his hand towards the entrance to the cave. "Do you see, or _hear,_ any rescue planes out there? Have you _heard_ anything since we got here?"

"That doesn't mean they've stopped looking."

"It's been a week. They've stopped. They don't care enough about two people who, for all they know, went down with the plane. They won't waste their time, or the money. We're stuck here. This is it. Home, sweet home."

Cuddy felt tears threaten her eyes. She's pushed all of that to the back of her head. She never gave it a thought that they could be stuck here forever. She kept up enough hope for the both of them. Go figure it would take House to shoot it down like it meant nothing.

"I'm going home," she said in a small voice.

House shifted onto his back again with a small grunt. "You're the one who said you didn't have anything to go back to."

"No, _you_ said that, House. I still want to have a baby, I want to go back to my hospital, my benefactors—"

"All lost causes." He turned his head to her. "You won't get any of those things, because your fate so happens to be to die with me. Isn't that just lovely?"

"We're not going to die!" she almost yelled.

"Then you better start getting to work to build a mock Cast Away raft if you want to live. Good luck!" he said back in the same tone she used.

A tear slipped down Cuddy's cheek. "How could you be so okay with dying?" she asked, voice nearly breaking. "Why are you giving up?"

"It's called acceptance. What you have is called denial. When the time comes…I'll be ready. You will fight in vain until you realize there's no prayer for you either. Just because you have hope, Cuddy, doesn't mean your result will be any different than mine."

"House…" She crept up to him and wrapped her arm around his chest, hugging him to her. "Please don't talk like that." She rested her head on his shoulder, sharing her tears with him.

"Why not?" he asked in a low voice, not fighting her. "Everybody dies."

"Not you," she said. "Even when your time has come, you'll fight it." Cuddy chuckled lightly. "You escaped death once already, twice if you count the shark. Third time's the charm."

He wrapped his arm around her, smirking small. "If I die, you're coming with me…just so I have someone to take with me as I pass the gates belonging to the fiery pits of hell."

House joking about death is probably what Cuddy needed to relax her a bit and take her mind off things. As long as she had him, she wasn't so afraid. In fact, she felt safe with him. She wanted to go home and resume her life, but being here with House to finish her days didn't seem all that bad. When you're with someone you love, it doesn't matter what your situation is. It's as if the love in your heart outweighs the seriousness of the matter.

House held her to him, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Cuddy…I won't go without a fight. I'm not that shallow."

"Good," she murmured tiredly and unconsciously placed a small kiss on his shoulder. "I love you."

Instead of questioning her, he lightly ran his fingers through her hair and willed her off to sleep.

"I know…" he said seconds later, after she was fast asleep.

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**I think it's about time she said I love you to House! I was getting all wrapped up in the sentiment and was feeling a little sappy myself..**

**Please review!**


	14. Giving In

**Thanks everyone for the great reviews! I love you all! **

**This chapter contains another round of Huddy smut! Just of the warning..**

**Enjoy :)**

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"What are you doing?" Cameron asked, finding Wilson in the lounge, up to his ears in maps of the Pacific Ocean. From the looks of things, he hasn't slept in over a day.

"Not going to Hawaii empty-handed," he said, rubbing his face before drawing another line with a straight edged ruler over the map.

He was also armed with protractors and other equipment that would put any calculus student to shame. Papers also piled up to the side. Good thing he had a large area to work.

Cameron walked up to the table, stepping around crumpled up papers as she did so.

"Are you trying to plot their course?" she asked, speaking of the rescue planes.

"I'm trying to see how far off course House and Cuddy are." He set his equipment down and handed Cameron a sheet with printed information on it. "That's the day they went down, and the precise time. Now…judging by the current of the seas and the wind that day, followed by the night, and if they did in fact drift, they're heading north."

Cameron briefly glanced at the printed out information of the weather patterns of the middle Pacific dated last week, all the way up to today.

"It's a start," Wilson said and went back to work.

"Assuming they're still out there." Cameron set the sheet down. "This proves nothing."

"It proves that they drifted north. I'll start looking there." He drew another line, matching the weather patterns for the following day after the plane crash.

Cameron looked on as he made notes beside one of the lines.

"Their flight went down here, according to the coordinates that the rescue team gave me," he said, tapping the point of the pencil at the center of a circle in the middle of nowhere. "The length is a hundred miles northwest of Hawaii." He used his hands to illustrate his words. "This line," he said, trailing from the circle to another circle, "is the distance they made from between the time the plane went down and sunset is about ten miles. Assuming they were floating on something. Now, overnight, the seas shift them from heading east to heading north. They were probably asleep and didn't know the change of direction." He traveled the line with his finger, only going up an inch or so. "It's not to scale," he pointed out to her. "Obviously the lines here are longer, but you get the point."

"So you're saying they're up north?" Cameron asked.

"Yes," Wilson said, circling two areas and sketching in longitude and latitude coordinates to where he thought they might be. "Up north, there are a lot of uncharted islands up there. However, if they drifted for more than two and a half, three days, the weather on the seas was rough and they might've gotten the leftovers, so to say, pushing them further west and off the chart."

Wilson sounded so hopeful. For the first time in days, his face was glowing. Cameron hated to ruin it for him. She didn't mean to, but her straight face wiped the smile off his.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Don't you think you're getting your hopes up here? There's a very slim chance they survived the crash, Wilson. Just because they weren't found in the cabin, doesn't mean they weren't ejected when it hit the ocean floor. You said so yourself…there were many people on the roster bound for Japan that weren't found in the cabin." Cameron spoke calm and easy, almost as if she were a psychologist and Wilson was her patient. The only thing she didn't do is reach out and take his hands.

Wilson frowned. "Since when did you jump on the bandwagon, accepting their deaths?"

"Since I went home to take a shower and a nap last night and got my head together. After their funerals this afternoon…we should let them go."

Wilson shook his head immediately. "No. I'm not giving up until I have solid proof that their dead."

"Their airplane hit the water at five hundred miles an hour, imploding from within! How much more proof do you need?!"

"House jumped out before they hit the water and he took Cuddy with him." Wilson waved his hand to dismiss the subject. "I'm not getting into this with you right now."

"So he jumped a mile up in the air. Hitting the water at that rate would kill him. Cuddy, too."

"Then it looks like I'm going to Hawaii by myself," Wilson said, sounding disappointed with that.

Cameron sighed and shook her head. "No, no I'm not letting you go there alone. I'm still going."

"Look, no offense, Cameron, but I don't want you with me if you're going to be negative about this."

"Negative?" Cameron squawked. "I'm being realistic!"

"Yeah, so realistic you're not willing to give it a shot in finding them. You're so quick to assume they're dead. I can't do that. I _won't_ do that. Maybe you like Feeney and the fact he closed down Diagnostics without a warning. Whatever your reason, I really don't care. I know House is out there. The stubborn ass won't die without a fight."

Cameron lowered her head. "Maybe he did fight," she said in a low voice. "Maybe he died protecting Cuddy. That sounds like him, right?"

Wilson shook his head. "It does, but he wouldn't die protecting her if he knew she was going to end up dying anyway. That's why I know they're still alive and they're on one of these islands in the north quadrant. Don't ask me how, but I know."

Cameron swallowed hard and casually glanced at the map. "So…when are we going?"

"Right after I'm finished with this." He worked while he talked. "My things are packed, the plane is booked—"

Cameron twiddled with her fingers. "I want to go to the funerals."

Wilson stared at her like she had two heads. "You serious?"

"Wilson, there's a million to one shot that we won't find them out there. If I don't go to the funerals, I'll hate myself forever. If they are dead…I want to pay my respects."

"And if they aren't, you're just wasting time, _their_ time, from being rescued and brought home safely."

"Even if you get down there on time today and have a couple hours of daylight, you're not going to be able to look for them right away! There's things that need to be done. You can slap a hundred million dollars in cash on the counter and they wouldn't be able to bring out their best jet in time! They need clearance. Did you even talk to anyone about this first?"

Wilson dropped his head to the map and fell quiet.

Cameron's eyes went wide. "So you just _assume_ that they're going to let you hand them a check and be on your merry way, is that it?"

"What else can I do?!" Wilson said loudly.

"House wouldn't want you to waste your time like this." Cameron's tone was still calm and collective. She reached her hand out and gently placed it over Wilson's knee.

He chuckled, but no humor came from it. "Yeah, that sounds like him. He wouldn't want a funeral either, body in the coffin or not."

Cameron took her hand back.

"But it's still worth a shot. I'll make some phone calls and see where I end up."

Cameron gently shook her head. "I'll call for you. I have a second cousin in the air force, maybe he can help out."

Wilson's face softened. "Any little bit helps."

Cameron smiled small and stood. Just as she went to walk away, Wilson grabbed her hand. Their eyes met.

"Thanks, Cameron…It means a lot, even if the odds are against us."

"I want to find them as much as you do. If not, more," she said and then left.

--------------

House got up to the streambed on his own the following afternoon. It was easy when it wasn't raining. Unfortunately, the lack of rain, followed by the intensity of the sun and constant balmy weather was running the streambed low. There was still enough water in it, however, to wash up. This was House's second time up to the streambed, but did notice something different about it.

"Didn't it used to be one long bed before?" he asked.

"It used to be," Cuddy said, setting down the coconuts and bananas she brought up. "But I was bored one day and with the desire to get clean, I sectioned it out. The left side is our drinking water and the right side is our bathing water."

House frowned at her. "_Our_ bathing water?"

"Unless you can find a drain and a faucet somewhere, I'm afraid so."

House wrinkled up his nose. "So you want _me_…to get in _there_…after _you've_ been in there?"

Cuddy had to laugh at how overly disgusted he sounded. If it was a joke, he did a great job at it. "House, you sleep with me on a regular basis."

"Oh I get it," he said, as if he just discovered the answer after being thoroughly confused. "I sleep with you, so therefore, I should get clean."

Cuddy hit him in the shoulder, but never lost her smile. "That's not what I meant. You need to get clean because you haven't showered in over a week and I'm tired of smelling you. Too bad there's only room for one."

"I'll let you sit on my lap."

Cuddy knew where he was going with that and had to decline. "You are going to focus on washing yourself because if you don't, I'm never sleeping with you again."

House's eyes widened in horror. "Seriously?"

Cuddy nodded. "Seriously."

"Then let me at it."

He limped over to the bathing part of the streambed and stepped in after stripping his shorts off. Cuddy eyed his bare backside and felt herself grow tingly. Out of all the times they've slept together and been together on the island, she never saw him naked from the back. Her breath was caught in her throat as she watched him step into the streambed. The water went up to the area just below his knees. Cuddy helped him sit with trembling hands. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

Sitting for House was a bit awkward. He had to fold in his left leg while keeping his right one stretched out. Since the section wasn't that long, part of his leg and foot was out on dry land.

"This is most uncomfortable," he muttered after wiggling around a bit to try to get comfortable. His back was up against something hard. Probably the dozens of twigs and whatnot that Cuddy used to keep the water separate.

"It's roughing it," Cuddy said. "At least we have one of these. Can you imagine what it would be like if we didn't?"

"I'm starting to wish we didn't. I'd rather bathe in the sea. Sorry you can't with the whole rash incident and such."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he pulled out a coconut and started twirling it in the water like a child in the bathtub with his toys. Cuddy frowned. "Where did you get that?"

"It's Harry," he said, exposing the lighter colored coconut to Cuddy. "He needed a bath, too."

"I didn't see you bring it up."

House shrugged and twirled the coconut in the water again, humming obnoxiously. Cuddy grabbed Harry out of the water and was met with a surprised glare from House.

"You can play with your toys after you get clean," she said, setting Harry down away from House so he couldn't reach for it.

"That's not how it goes," he said, using light sarcasm. "We play with our toys _before_ getting clean. Good thing you don't have kids. Their norms would be so messed up right now."

"Good thing you're not a kid, House. I get to alter the norms with you. Now shut up and wash yourself."

She tossed in things for him to wash his body with while planning to wash his hair for him, treating him like a child anyway. She knelt down beside him and used the shell of a coconut to dip into the water and then pour over his head.

"Stop mothering me," he said, snatching the coconut shell from her hand and did it himself.

Cuddy had no objections. She actually didn't know why she was taking over in the first place.

"You're looking a little shaggy there," she commented with a light chuckle, brushing the pads of her fingers over his beard.

He glanced over at her lower half, which was covered up by her black pants. "Yeah, well, don't get me started on you. I'm surprised my penis doesn't have rug burn yet."

Cuddy's mouth dropped at the blunt comment.

"It looks much worse than your mustache," he added.

Cuddy's cheeks reddened as she covered her upper lip to feel if it was as bad as he said. She couldn't feel a thing.

"But don't worry, as the bus driver from _Mrs. Doubtfire_ said, 'I like that Mediterranean look in women.'"

"House, it's not that bad," she said, not losing her blush. She felt the urge never to take her pants off again after a comment like that. "It's only been a week. Hair doesn't grow that fast."

"Yours does. Have you seen your legs recently?"

"Since my body disgusts you so badly, you wouldn't mind if I said no to sex from now on."

Now it was House's turn to widen his eyes. "Seriously?"

Cuddy nodded. "Seriously. Sometimes it pays to keep your mouth open without talking. And don't go there!" she said, stopping him before he could cook up a clever implication with her sentence.

"Wasn't gonna!" he said, ripping a mock washcloth from her hand and the melted down coconut they cooked over the fire, which turned into something along the line of wax and melted nicely with suds when coming in contact with water, making it amazing for washing up. Cuddy helped him anyway. She took a handful of the coconut and mixed it with water to rub along his shoulders. House groaned slightly when it turned into a massage. A small smirk tugged at Cuddy's lips. She took her hands back as a tease and made a grab for the "shampoo," which was Cuddy's fancy way of saying coconut milk on the island. Mixed in with banana, it was a great hair remedy in a pinch. Now all they had to do was find something sharp enough to be used as a razor. After that, they'd be fit as a fiddle.

"Why did you stop?" he asked, getting into the massage and missing the contact when she broke away.

She looked down into the water and grinned. House was hard.

"Because you are not…_ejaculating_ into this water," she said in a low voice, almost as if she was afraid to use that word to him.

"Why?"

Cuddy felt her cheeks blushing again. "Because I need to use it after you."

House smirked. "Mmm…can I wash you, too?"

"Maybe," she teased, dumping another shell full of water on his head.

House wiggled his brow and drank her body in with his eyes in a very noticeably, alluring way.

"Maybe not," she followed after watching him eat her with his eyes. "My body disgusts you, remember."

"Oh it so does not," he said and grabbed her swiftly by the waist. It caught Cuddy off guard and before she knew it, she was straddling his hips inside the streambed.

"House!" she said in surprise.

"See, there is room for two," he said, putting on one of his classical smirks.

Since there were no tall sides to the streambed, like on a bathtub, House was easily able to pull her kneeling form in with him.

Cuddy was soaked up to her thighs, but unevenly, because of her trying to maintain balance once she was caught off guard and resisting a bit. They didn't have much room at all. Cuddy couldn't move. Both knees were touching the edges of the streambed. She wasn't even straddling him properly. She couldn't go down far enough. Her legs wouldn't let her.

"I told you it won't work," she said, looking down at him.

House hummed. "Maybe not, but I got the most _perfect_ view of the twins here."

All House had to do was lean his head forward and he would be nuzzled in her chest.

"House, can I get out now?"

"Nope," he said, hands traveling up her shirt until he was just far enough to brush the tip of his finger against the surface of one of her breasts.

Cuddy fought the urge to moan at the feeling.

"I love that you wear no bra," he said, his other hand joining in.

This time, he brushed the pad of his finger across her nipple, causing her to suck in air between clenched teeth. He got them both painfully hard in no time, merely just by lightly brushing up against them.

Cuddy's shirt was up and over her before she knew it. Her fingers wrapped themselves in his hair as he attacked her chest. At first, he was gentle, but then his biting and sucking became so urgent that Cuddy could no longer suppress her moans. He knew her sensitive spots and attacked those the hardest. That, along with his tongue circling her nipple caused her body to fire up with desire. She tossed her head back in pure ecstasy.

"Get those pants off," he breathed over a very erect nipple. "Now."

He took it upon himself to unhook the button and slide the zipper down, but because of her legs being spread up over the sides of the streambed, he couldn't get them off. She would have to stand up to do so, or stretch her legs out while balancing herself, allowing him to slide them off. That would be the quickest way.

However, Cuddy didn't move.

"Do it, or I rip them," he growled impatiently.

Cuddy looked down to see him looking back up at her with pure lust in his eyes.

"Not in here, House," she breathed, but wasn't so sure of herself. Part of her didn't care that he wanted to have sex with her in the streambed and spoil the water. It's supposed to rain soon anyway, so who cares, right? They could empty whatever water was left and have the rain refill it.

But that wasn't the point! He wasn't listening to her. Even on a deserted island, miles from civilization, he still let his own needs and desires take over free thought and ignore her. Her words were useless, unless they had "House, take me" in them.

Cuddy's senses became clouded when he dipped his hand into her pants and found her folds easily. She drew in a sharp breath. She hated herself. Every time House touched her, all rationale was gone and the thought of berating him and his perverted mind was thrown out the window. She suddenly went to not caring if all he was doing was using her for sex, because he was just THAT good!

"Do you have something against sex while sitting up?" he asked, tone of voice a bit on the sarcastic side when she wasn't moving fast enough for him.

"House, I'm too far up," she said.

"Spread your legs further and sink down," he said simply.

Cuddy braced herself just by the thought alone. With her legs spread out in a split-like manner, penetration would be like nothing she's ever experienced. House wouldn't be touching her inner thighs at all. She would feel every inch of him slamming into her with no barriers to stop him from doing so. The thought made her instantly soak up in her pants. She shifted backwards, hands on both sides of the streambed to balance herself. House wasted no time in sliding them off her and tossing them to the side. He helped Cuddy get back into position. His fingers found her folds again.

"Wow, you're so wet. I knew you couldn't resist me."

"I can never resist you, you bastard," she said, hating how she always fell prey to his sexual antics.

"That's what I like to hear, now sink down so I can impale you."

It hurt for Cuddy to have her legs bent at the knee on the edges of the streambed and find the ability to lower herself. But she managed the awkward position. She would definitely not regret it.

House met her half way and thrust up into her in one sweep. It happened so fast that Cuddy didn't couldn't find the ability to properly take in air. Her mind was cloudy and her senses went numb. Every one of them. She couldn't feel her limbs. The only thing she did feel was a tingling sensation that shot straight up her spine and fanned through to her fingertips.

House gripped her sides and pulled her down to meet his thrusts. Cuddy wrapped her arms around his neck to balance herself. House's mouth remained busy, licking and nipping at her neck and collarbone now that she was down further for him to enjoy doing so.

Cuddy filled the skies with her cries of elation. She couldn't remember the last time anyone made her this vocal. House was completely insatiable in this position.

She begged House to give her his all. She didn't want him to hold back. House smirked and pulled her down further. That, mixed in with the pain of her legs splitting awkwardly, brought Cuddy to the most intense and violent orgasm to date. Her nails scratched and dug into his back, and at some point, half his hair was ripped out as well.

Their lips smashed together as they rode out their orgasms together. It's a good thing he was supporting her by the hips, because she would easily be tipping over after that. She couldn't feel her body. The only thing she did feel was the strain in her legs, which turned into a pulsing, stretching sensation.

Their lips parted, leaving the two gasping for air from the kiss, as well as the mind-blowing orgasm that sent the both of them to the stars.

So much for getting clean.

-------------------

**Thanks for reading! Please review :)**


	15. Laid To Rest?

**Soo sorry for the lack of update! Life is just too cruel these days..**

**But anyway, thanks for all the reviews and for sticking around this far! *hands out cookies to everyone***

**Enjoy:)**

-----------------

Cameron went in the same car as Wilson when the two attended the funerals that afternoon. Since House and Cuddy's bodies weren't in the coffins, they skipped the wake and went straight to burial at the local cemetery. Since House and Cuddy were both pretty much loners, there weren't many people there. House's parents, as well as Cuddy's parents and sister were there already, tossing memorabilia into her coffin. They looked bored to be there, whereas Blythe House was in tears, trying to pull away from the embrace of her husband so she could get out of there. It was too much to bear to bury her only son so prematurely.

Wilson still hasn't meant Cuddy's family. The only thing he's done was speak to her father on the phone while trying to organize the funerals. For some reason, Mr. Cuddy didn't want his daughter buried with House, even though it would make sense to only have one coffin if there were no bodies in it. That would cut down on space, as well as cost. He never liked House. He never met him personally, just heard about him through word of mouth and magazine publications. No doubt he also blamed his daughter's death on House. Wilson wouldn't be surprised if he blamed House for making the plane go down. He probably convinced his wife to feel the same way, although probably not much convincing was necessary.

Cameron never met them and was hesitant to do so. Tucked securely under her arm, she had Cuddy's precious framed diplomas, awards, and certificates she had gathered in her office proudly for the world to see that Feeney was so close to throwing away, along with all her other things. In her other hand, she had Cuddy's blue and white glass menorah that she kept on the bookshelf. Cameron planned to put those into the coffin as her way of saying goodbye. Wilson, however, had nothing, for he was still convinced they were alive somewhere. It was very difficult getting him to come to the funerals in the first place.

"I don't know why she's crying," Mrs. Cuddy muttered to her husband, eyeing Blythe House dabbing the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief about ten feet away. "It's his fault Lisa's dead."

Clearly, they were talking about House. Cameron shyly approached them from behind as Wilson headed over to see Blythe and John. The Cuddy's had no idea she was there and continued to badmouth House.

"Excuse me," she said, unable to hear anything more about House in that way.

Three tearless faces turned in her direction simultaneously.

"Who are you?" Mrs. Cuddy asked, tone on the harsh side.

Cameron felt nervous in front of them. "I'm…Allison Cameron. Lisa was my boss."

Mrs. Cuddy snorted, but smiled a fake running-for-campaign smile at Cameron. Everyone could tell it was false. "Please to meet you, Miss Cameron, I assume it's Miss. My name's Ellie, this is my husband Walter, and our daughter, Karen."

Cameron nodded her head politely.

"What do you got there?" Ellie asked, pointing to the frames tucked under Cameron's arm.

"Oh…um…" Cameron exposed the frames to them, "a few things that were in Cuddy's office that she would want to have with her."

The three of them glanced at the framed items. "Those aren't worth anything, are they?" Walter Cuddy asked, pointing to one of them.

Cameron frowned. What did he mean by that? "They're worth everything to your daughter," she said, a little sterner than expected. It was clear that Cuddy's family was only after her money after that comment.

"Those are just ordinary picture frames, right?" Ellie Cuddy asked.

It was her turn to receive a frown from Cameron. "Yes, just your ordinary Kohl's department store Sonoma brand frames that go for about fourteen dollars a pop. And the certificates are probably useless to you."

Instead of being insulted by that comment, Ellie rolled her eyes. "Lisa was such a huge disappointment. Growing up, all she thought of was herself. It was always about _her_ choices and _her_ career. It was never about her family. She didn't care about us and what we wanted for her."

"Mr. and Mrs. Cuddy, with all do respect, it was Lisa's life to lead."

"Well I hope she's happy," Walter blurted out. "Because of that…son of a bitch she had working for her, she's dead."

Did he actually sound like he cared? That was the closest either one of them had gotten to acting like they gave a damn that their daughter and sister was missing and probably dead.

Cameron's mouth dropped for a completely different reason. Walter Cuddy was blaming House for Cuddy's disappearance. "Mr. Cuddy, I assure you that Dr. House had nothing to do with this."

Walter scoffed. "He's such a bigmouth hotshot that no doubt he had something to do with it."

Ellie shushed him. "It's not nice to speak ill of the dead," she said, although it didn't look like she cared at all that he was bashing a dead man.

It was almost a relief to see Wilson stepping back over to her. Cameron excused herself and met up with Wilson the rest of the way.

"Don't talk to them," she said with a small sigh.

Wilson did so anyway and had about the same reactions as Cameron. The Cuddy's were not pleasant people at all. It churned their stomachs when Wilson told them he thought for sure that they were still alive out there somewhere. First, they were defending their daughter, now they hoped it wasn't true. They didn't say that in so many words, but it could be seen on their faces. They only remained strong because it was the norm.

Cameron paid her respects to Cuddy and House, although when she went to add Cuddy's framed achievements into the bodiless coffin, she hesitated with the sudden feeling that Cuddy was still out there somewhere. A brush of warm, calming wind passed right through her body and warmed her heart. The sensation made tears come to her eyes as she stared into a coffin of different pictures and things, mostly from her employees at PPTH. She looked up at the sky. It was supposed to be cloudy all day, but just as she looked up, the sun brightly poked through a mass of thick clouds, as if to shine directly on her. A single robin also flew overhead. She followed it with her eyes until it was out of sight.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't put those achievements in there. Instead, she tucked them securely back under her arm and left the coffin. The only reason she went over to House's coffin next was to pay her respects to Blythe and John, not to House. He wasn't there. He was never there.

After, Cameron joined Wilson in the car. He went back there after meeting the families and talking to a few others that were there. Cameron now understood why he rushed himself.

"Why didn't you put those in there?" Wilson asked, never expecting to see Cuddy's achievements again.

"Because House and Cuddy aren't there," Cameron said, looking at the top framed award that now sit on her lap. "They're still out there."

"So you don't think I'm crazy?"

Cameron thought about the feeling that fanned throughout her entire body. Suddenly, her opinions changed, as if someone flipped a switch in her mind.

"Not anymore. Maybe I just want to prove Mr. and Mrs. Cuddy wrong. I don't know. But I do know one thing—we're going to Hawaii."

--------------------

The sky ahead was dark, even in the middle of the afternoon. It looked like it was sundown already. The wind kicked up and the waves crashed harder up on the beach.

"Looks like we're in for a brutal one this time," House said, reading Cuddy's mind about the possibility of a storm.

Cuddy felt a twinge of worry course through her body and poke at her heart. The way the waves were crashing, House couldn't be too far off with his assumption. The darkness loomed so quickly over their island and gentle claps of thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Good thing we already went up to the streambed to "bathe,"" he said, making quotes with his fingers.

Cuddy groaned. "Who knew that it would take you an hour to finally finish up."

House smirked and drew her close to him. "I had a distraction."

"My legs are killing me, just for your information, not like you care."

He gasped dramatically. "How can you say that? I'm hurt."

"I'm sure you are. Either let go of me or start walking beside me because we need to get back to the cave."

House didn't move. He continued to hold her close, not removing his eyes from hers. Cuddy could read those eyes very well by now. She groaned again, but came out in somewhat of a moan. "House, come on, we just had sex for an hour straight with my legs doing the splits the entire time. I'm lucky I could get back down to the beach without falling."

Cuddy had to limp on both sides because of her position. Her upper legs hurt like crazy, burning with every step she took. However, she wouldn't trade it for anything. Being in that position had to have been the hottest sex she ever experienced, and knowing it was House that introduced her to it make her feel complete. But right now, she needed a break. If she so much as inched her legs open, she would definitely feel the painful strain.

"I admit I never found you sexier than I did up there," he said, wiggling his eyebrows and eyeing her chest, which was ripped at the neck and showing even more of her cleavage than it normally did, thanks to him ripping it in one of their previous passionate moments.

"House, my nipples are sore and I'm probably going to have little black and blue marks everywhere, thanks to you."

"I didn't hear you complaining up there as it was happening. If I remember correctly, you were _whining _for me to continue."

Before Cuddy could respond, a giant clap of thunder boomed over their heads out of nowhere. Both of them looked up to the sky, as if to find something up there. Just when they did, it started down pouring. It didn't matter if they were stuck in the rain, for they were still wet from the bath in the streambed. It's the lighting that lit up the entire sky like a hundred-watt bulb that they had to worry about. And they were nowhere near the cave at the left side of the island.

A sudden rush of wind nearly knocked them off their feet and also caused the waves to come crashing harder up onto the beach. It sounded like a roof to a building was caving in on top of the horrendous northbound winds that threatened to push them to the ground. Cuddy lost her balance and was caught by House. She couldn't walk properly as is and felt every painful movement when she stumbled into his arms. He was having a hard enough time gaining proper balance because of his leg.

Cuddy's wet hair slapped continuously against the sides of her face, regardless of how many times she furiously swiped the locks away. The wind was coming at her from behind.

It took them a long time to regain composure. Having to walk through sand didn't make it any easier. Cuddy had to lower her head so her hair wouldn't slap against her eyes.

"I think it's a hurricane!" House shouted over the wind. If Cuddy wasn't next to him, she probably wouldn't have heard him over the wind, leaves rustling, and the waves crashing onto the beach.

House held onto her tighter and the two walked together. It wasn't easy.

Since House needed the most support, Cuddy wrapped her arm around his lower back and hugged him to her. Both of them leaned on one another, and of course, that upset House. Cuddy didn't even think of that, and if she did, she would still be hugging onto him anyway. Somehow, she didn't recall the large scrape that still remained on her side that he had given her when she offered to help the first time. It's different when he's helping her. That was okay, but if she was helping him, there were big issues there.

The rain quickly wetted the sand, making a splatting noise now. But for the time being, it was easier to walk on before it became so overrun with water that it turned into mud.

Cuddy couldn't see three feet ahead of her because of how hard the rain fell. The droplets were so fat that it hurt her bare skin. The wind didn't help much either. It only made the rain feel as if it were coming down faster when it hit her skin.

House was too busy fuming to realize anything, except for his leg was starting to hurt and Cuddy was helping him. He was soaked and the cave was still too far away.

"Are you okay?" Cuddy asked over the wind and rain.

House didn't answer, but Cuddy got the hint that he wasn't judging by his facial expressions. He was in pain. He was also annoyed. Cuddy ignored that part of him and pressed on, arm continuing to be around his back.

However, he did keep himself under control. There was too much going on around him to blow up on Cuddy. He waited until they were in the cave to yell at her. Because of the angle of the rain, half the cave was soaking wet and put their fire out completely. House and Cuddy had to move further into the cave, dragging their things with them before they could get even wetter.

The wind whistled across the opening of the cave and howled, like blowing across the top of an open glass bottle. This was their most brutal storm to date. Not to mention it was getting a lot colder outside. The rain was so intense that they couldn't see out to the ocean, but could hear the waves crashing. The sound got louder and louder, as if the waves were crashing further up onto the beach every time.

"This damn storm is going to swallow us whole," House said, sitting down gently and keeping his leg out, which started to throb on him. He bit his lip and rubbed his upper thigh.

"Don't say that," Cuddy said, somewhat in denial.

"The waves are crashing up onto the beach from all angles, as kinetically impossible as that sounds."

"It's not impossible," Cuddy said. "House, the only way the waves would be crashing in at all four angles is if there were crosswinds and if we have four-way crosswinds, it must be a tropical hurricane."

"Tropical my ass, it's freezing out here," he said, shivering. His hands trembled slightly as he rubbed his upper leg.

A series of thunderclaps shook the cave and every now and then, lightning would light up the inside.

"What I wouldn't give for some hot chicken soup and an electric blanket right now," Cuddy said, laying down on her mock bed and curling up to keep warm.

Once House's pain somewhat subsided, he laid beside her and took her into his arms to share body warmth.

"I just want my bed," he said, drawing her close to him. She rested her head against his chest, not caring if it was wet. "Laying on hard ground is becoming somewhat of a drag."

Just being beside him was all the warmth in the world. She was put completely at ease when his fingers ran lightly through her wet hair. She forgot completely that there was a storm going on outside. Her thoughts were completely focused on House's comfort. She melted into his touch and sudden felt exhausted. If she ever made it home and told people back at PPTH that House put aside being a jerk to comfort her during their little adventure, no one would ever believe her. They especially would consider her nuts if she said that he drew her into his arms and shared anything. Wilson might be the only one who would believe them. Then again, he knows that House likes Cuddy. He'd believe it.

Cuddy smiled when she felt his lips tap the top of her head.

"Hey," he said after a small pause that followed.

"Yeah?" she answered, tired, but not ready to fall asleep yet.

"Do you think that we would've ever had sex if we weren't stranded here first?"

Cuddy smiled again and looked up to meet his eyes, which, in turn, were right on hers. "Probably not. At the hospital, you're an ignorant ass on a daily basis and I would love nothing more than to fire you. Here, you're not so…you. I like that adjustment." Cuddy rested her hand flat on his chest and reached over to kiss him. He kissed back, but barely.

Cuddy opened her eyes to see him looking back at her. She inched her head back. "What's wrong?"

"Whereas you think I've changed, you've still remained your pathetic self."

Cuddy frowned. The smile disappeared from her face. Where did that come from? "House?" she questioned.

"And I suspect you're going to become more whiny and bitchy in the next couple days."

"Why would you—"

"Because you're ovulating. As of yesterday, into today, and late next week, you menstruate."

Cuddy frowned. "Why does that sound so bad when it comes out of your mouth?"

"Just thought you wanted to know that my boys can swim and they are very friendly with your girls. Almost inseparable if you know what I mean."

Cuddy was amazed. She didn't even know her ovulation cycle, or when it was that time of the month for that matter. She was never a regular ever since she stopped the pill, so how does House know these things about her? Or was he just making this up to be an even bigger jerk?

"And you're telling me this…why?"

House shrugged. "Just in case you're wondering in the next few weeks you don't menstruate and you're puking your brains out in your morning coconut milk."

"You think I'm pregnant?"

He shrugged again, completely expressionless. "Maybe. Wouldn't surprise me, the way we've been going at it like jackrabbits."

For some reason, Cuddy never thought of the possibility of becoming pregnant. Her lips parted in shock "I can't have a baby on this island!" she shrieked, pulling herself slightly away from House.

"Oh well geez don't make it sound like the end of the world," House said sarcastically. "For your information, I don't like it either. I just wanted the sex. Too bad we didn't have an all night convenient store that sells condoms."

"Of course you just wanted the sex," Cuddy grumbled at him. "I forgot who I was stranded with suddenly."

House scoffed. "Not my fault you went off the pill."

Cuddy sighed, not wanting to get herself worked up. "House, do you have any idea of the dangers I will go through if I have a child on this island?" Cuddy looked at him with concern. It could be seen in her eyes. "Assuming I make it through a long and agonizing childbirth, we have no clothes for the baby, no proper food, shelter, or anything sharp enough to cut the umbilical cord for that matter!"

House merely shrugged as if her concerns didn't matter. "So you're saying you don't want to have sex again?"

"This isn't about the sex!" Cuddy shrieked. "This is about a potential life that could be doomed from the time of conception!"

House rolled his eyes. "Well if you're going to get all technical on me, I'm going to take a nap. You can cuddle with yourself, Cuddles."

He changed sides. Cuddy tossed her head back and sighed. It's just like him to initiate a conversation like this, get her worked up, and then leave her hanging.

"Were you aiming to get me pregnant or something?"

"Nope," he said, facing the side of the cave that Cuddy wasn't at. "But I wasn't going to miss out on the free sex either."

"That's all I was to you? Free sex?" she asked, feeling hurt.

House hesitated before speaking. "Well, what did you think it was?" he asked, not sounding so sarcastic.

Cuddy felt tears sting her eyes and a funny, salty taste form in her mouth. Her heart weighted a ton. She bit her lower lip when it started to quiver. What she felt towards House when they had sex was something special. She knew he was using her at first, but over the course of the days, she hoped he felt something more. She thought she felt love directed only towards her when they kissed and made love instead of just sex. There were times when he was gentle and loving and it brought her to tears. She should've known that he was full of shit and she was stupid for believing it. House could never change.

House looked over when he heard her draw in a shaky breath. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"Seriously, Cuddy."

"So what, you just planned to have sex with me until I got pregnant and became too fat to fuck you?"

House couldn't help it. A small smirk formed across his lips. "No, pregnant women are much hornier, that was my angle."

"Okay, so forget about the fact that I could die carrying a child without the proper resources. You just want me pregnant so I'll be a better lay for you. You're a real bastard, House."

"Hey, this wasn't all one-sided, Cuddy. You're the one who ripped my pants off first. Don't blame this on me."

"I did it once; you did it the other fifty-whatever times!"

"I didn't hear you complaining!"

Now House was staring to yell back. It was no longer a joke and he was no longer finding it funny. Cuddy's defense mechanism was blaming others in her times of blunder, especially House.

"Why is it that we always have to fight? Why can't you just ever admit that you're wrong?" she asked him.

"Because I'm not! You laid down for me every single time and begged for more. You have needs, I have needs, that's all it was. You're pissed at me because I don't want it to be more than it is! I'm not a doting father figure living out of a Walgreen's Perfect commercial."

"I never said that you had to be, House!" she cried. "I'm just looking for your support. It's all I have left in this world!"

Cuddy dropped her face into her hands and cried. The stressors were finally catching up to her. Between the storms, the lack of resources, body aches, and her current situation in general, she was running out of hope and strength.

"I just want to go home," she sobbed into her hands. "I hate this island, I hate this cave, I hate everything!"

House watched her for a moment, but then dragged himself over to her to put his arms around her. She gave in easily to his touch and rested her face in the crook of his neck. He rocked her gently and shushed her with an apology.

Cuddy knew it was a front. He's been having a rather run of them lately. But she didn't care. It was wonderful to feel the comfort he gave her at the moment, whether he meant it or not.

Everything was so complicated, and yet, she still loved him. Her love for him should be the most complicated thing she had to deal with, but it wasn't. Cuddy could easily tell herself that, despite how he is, she couldn't deny what she felt in her heart when he held her close. That was going to get her into trouble one of these days.

Minutes turned into hours as their embrace continued. The reason it went on for so long is because Cuddy had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder and he didn't have the heart to move her. He spent the time running his fingers through her slowly drying hair and being someone that no one in this world was lucky enough to see.

He also owed her a response from last night…

"I love you, too," he murmured, kissing the top of her head once more.

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**Please review! Thanks for reading :)**


	16. The Aftereffects

**Thanks everyone for the great reviews that are keeping this story alive! I apologize for not updating sooner!**

**And Catlin Kelly, my idea did not come from the article on the fox site about House and Cuddy, it was all me :)**

**And this chapter contains smut! Just as a warning**

**Enjoy :)**

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Three days later, Cuddy's name came off her office door. Wilson and Cameron seemed to be the only ones to notice. Everyone else was busy moving around from place to place. Wilson and Cameron stood at the Nurse's station, arms folded, watching with disgust as someone scratched the letters of Cuddy's name off the door and pressed on new letters, ones that said—Zachary Feeney, MD—Dean of Medicine. It turned Wilson's stomach to watch that. To make the situation worse, Feeney was inside the outer office, beaming like crazy as he watched his name being put up on the door. The little ingrate didn't seem to care or take notice in what his name going up on that door did for the hospital. He already made things turn for the worse around there with firing who he pleased and hiring people he liked, even if they weren't qualified to do the job. Being Chief of Medicine gave him a free ride to hire his family or any bum on the street looking for a job. He was a very prejudiced man and only hired the people he liked, not the people who were most qualified. To top it off, employees who walked through the front door one morning weren't sure if they would ever experience that again. People were so afraid of being fired over the smallest things, it's like House took over being chief administrator. Although that thought at the moment wouldn't be so bad.

"I guess it's time to go," Wilson said with a sigh.

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Cuddy awoke the morning after the hurricane finally subsided to the sound of House shuffling around outside the cave and twigs snapping. She rubbed her eyes and adjusted them to the sunlight that poured through the cave before shuffling out on her knees. The entire area was covered with twigs of all sizes.

"Hey," House simply greeted, snapping another twig in half.

"What time is it?" Cuddy asked, as if he could answer that precisely. She stifled a yawn.

Instead, he pointed above them to the sun's angle, which was a quarter away from the center of the sky. "Nine am."

"Oh." Cuddy slid out of the cave and stretched.

House couldn't help but eye her flat stomach as it rose a few inches above her belly button when she stretched her arms in the air.

"So I guess that hurricane did more good than harm, huh? Now we don't have to go far to get twigs for the fire."

"Oh so now you're calm and collective about everything? The other day you were ready to hang everything up."

Cuddy tossed him a look. "House, we're in the middle of nowhere."

"Yes, I've been following," he shot back sarcastically.

"I don't like it anymore than you do. I'm trying to make the best of it. Being stuck in a cave for the past three days with you while a tropical hurricane loomed above us didn't exactly help. I was bored to tears."

"Oh, boohoo," he mocked, followed by a brief snivel. "Let me break out the violins."

The past three days have been long, but the two always found something to do while curled up together by the fire…once they got it started again. The end of the first night and into the second was all about sex.

It's as if House found a Kama Sutra secretly hidden somewhere on the island and was dying to show her new moves. Most of them involved her being on top in some way or another. He was so full of surprises. It was unfortunate that the wonderful events, including some of last night, had to be interrupted by the rudeness of his mouth. He just didn't know when to stop.

"You're such an ass," she hissed and spun around on her heels to walk in the opposite direction, trampling angrily through the wet sand like a child.

"Where you going?" he called after her.

"What do you care?" she snapped back over her shoulder.

"If you're thinking about going up to the streambed, forget it. The rain completely turned the path into a mudslide."

That stopped Cuddy fast. "What do you mean mudslide?"

"I mean it's literally a mudslide…without the Kahlua and Bailey's."

The joke was tacky, but neither seemed to care. Cuddy was more concerned about not being able to get water when they needed it.

Cuddy sighed. "Oh that's just great, House. What are we going to do for water?"

House shrugged. "Pray for rain?" he tried poorly.

Cuddy scoffed and continued onward. House followed after her.

"Come on, Cuddy, you act like _I_ caused the hurricane."

"Don't follow me," she said.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to pee."

House raised his brows. "Oh…" He spun back around and attended to the twigs.

Cuddy did her business and returned to find House tossing Harry back and forth.

"After that storm, I'm shocked we still have sand on this island," Cuddy said, sitting in the sand beside House with a small grunt. "Now what are we going to do about getting up to the streambed?"

"You sound good for someone who was ready to hang everything up the other day."

Cuddy tossed him a look. "It's called optimism, House. It's the exact opposite of yours."

As the days pressed on up to this point, House had become a little more pessimistic than usual. They don't even see birds fly over the island, never mind an airplane, jet plane, or something remotely close. Something also in question was why they haven't seen animals here either. The island was full of life with rich green trees, huge rocks that shot to the sky, and a streambed. It was a medium sized horseshoe shaped island in with a peak that resembled a cylinder shape in the center where they were, and nothing but trees in the back, as well as on the fringes. Almost every inch of the three quarter mile island that wasn't beach was covered with trees. It wasn't just one type of tree. All sorts of trees with dark green leaves blanketed the island from top to bottom. It was a great place to be, very peaceful and serene with the sounds of the waves crashing softly onto the beach to loll them asleep at night and a beautiful fire to keep warm by, but enough was enough. They were tired, hungry, and especially worn out. Their trip to paradise must come to an end.

A small pause occurred between them. Cuddy stared out to the bright blue sea as far as she could with a sigh. For the aftereffects of the hurricane the small island endured, and was still standing, everything else was beautiful. The light blue sky didn't have a single cloud in it. To Cuddy, it was beautiful. But the further she looked out into nothing, she harder she wished there would be a boat that could be seen. Even if it was a dot in the distance, at least she could say that some form of life would be in this remote area.

She couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life here. She was pushing forty-four, but there was so much she still wanted to do with her life. Being stuck with House for eternity wasn't one of the ideas she had in mind, despite the tropical island paradise being the number one tourist spot for all loved ones.

"Do you think we'll ever get off here?" she asked solemnly, brining her knees up to her chin.

"You're asking the wrong person, Cuddy. I'm the opposite of you, remember?" he asked, filled with sarcasm. "I think we'll be here for life. Might as well get used to it." He stretched his legs out and gave a relaxed sigh.

Cuddy bit her lower lip as she watched him. She didn't want to believe it. Even though she wanted to give up on occasions, she didn't. There was always that small brush of hope that they would wake up one morning and hear an airplane flying overhead.

"Your hair is a mess," he said randomly, looking her hair over. "You haven't brushed it in days."

"Maybe that's because I haven't had a brush in days, House. Sorry, I didn't know we were crashing, otherwise I would've taken out my brush and held it securely in my hand," she said, bringing about sarcasm.

"I think I can change that." House picked up something by his other side that was wrapped around a green leaf. "This might help."

Cuddy drew her brows closer together as he placed the item into her hand. It was so big that she couldn't fit her hand around it and almost had to use two hands to hold it. And some parts of the item poked at her skin like dull spikes.

"Found it at the shoreline. I hear it's only available in the Caribbean, so I guess it's like a sign of good luck."

Cuddy removed the leaves. Her heart melted. It was a spider conch shell with long legs so she could easily brush her hair with it. Tears surfaced to her eyes at the kind gesture. Even though it was so miniscule, coming from House, it was the best gift she had ever received.

"It's beautiful," she said and looked up to him. "Thank you, House."

He dismissed it with the wave of his hand. "It's only a shell. Legend has it that you can hear the ocean in it."

Cuddy set down the light brown and white shell and leaned over to kiss him on the mouth. House didn't stop her. He encouraged it by wrapping his arm around her lower back to pull her closer.

What was supposed to be a thank you kiss was something that gathered a whole new meaning. Cuddy got lost easily in the kiss. It's as if House purposely put all his energy and thought in giving her the best kiss she's ever received so she would easily be wrapped around his little finger.

House knew he had her at the first moan.

"Ever done it on a rock?" he whispered in between kisses.

"No," she said, reaching in for another kiss.

House pulled his head back so she couldn't kiss him. "Then it's time you tried."

Cuddy was always willing to try anything once. Even though she's had it up to the sky with House, when they had sex, there was nothing else like it. If they ever made it off the island, she would still find herself sneaking over to House's apartment for a quick romp in the sack. He was the most extraordinary lover who knew what she wanted and how she wanted it.

Cuddy was hooked. She went from being stubborn to giving it to him whenever he wanted it. Not that she could resist him. No one made her feel as complete as he did. Who knew that jerks were the best at sex.

Cuddy knew what rock House was talking about. It was a giant formation near the beach around the entrance to the streambed. Some peaked as high as fifteen feet, but there was one that was almost completely flat and as smooth as a baby's bottom. He had been probably eyeing that rock for days now, hoping to get her to comply with his plan. Ordinary positions were starting to grow tiresome.

Shirts were lost somewhere on the beach when the two walked over to the formation, kissing with torrid passion. They removed the rest of each other's clothing when they got to the place.

Cuddy felt she would burst if he didn't touch her. He was careful not to touch a part of her that would drive her crazy.

"I should hate you," she whispered into his mouth, "you stubborn, manipulative ass."

She felt a smirk form on his lips with hers. "But you don't. You love me and you know it."

Cuddy never corrected him or said otherwise, she just continued to kiss him. She couldn't get enough. She ran the tip of her finger down his happy trail and wasted no time grasping his hardening member. Her heart fluttered when he moaned in her mouth. She continued to rub his length until he grabbed her hand. Their eyes met. Passion and love were the two urges most seen. Next in line was lust. But not for long. If House had anything to do with it, lust would be in the top two way before this session was over.

Cuddy more than willingly lay on her stomach on the slightly tilted rock so that her ass end was the part most in the air. She looked over her shoulder to see House taking a spot behind her. She moaned right away when he grasped her hips to hold her in place. Since she was on an angle, she would slide off head first if he didn't hold her somehow.

"Are you wet enough for me?" he asked, dipping his fingers into her slit, causing Cuddy to flinch. Still, he wouldn't touch her where it drove her most wild.

Cuddy was practically dripping. She had been ever since their kiss heated up back on the beach.

"Yes," Cuddy whispered, inching her legs apart and grasping anything she could to hold her position.

But nothing happened. She didn't even feel his hands on her anymore. It's as if he completely abandoned her.

It wasn't until she looked back at him, preparing to ask him what was wrong when he suddenly grasped her hips and pushed in with a hiss. Cuddy cried out in surprise, feeling herself jolt forward. Since the rock was long, she couldn't touch the ground with her hands. All she could do was grasp the side and hope he didn't let go of her.

House was completely relentless. There was no foreplay, no easing in, no nothing. He took her forcefully, as if he hadn't had sex in a year. Cuddy had no complaints. Her head lay flat on the rock, eyes closed, not knowing if she wanted to cry out or gasp. Since House's rhythm was more fast than slow, she only managed to do half-and-half with each.

It wasn't long until she felt an orgasm approach. The way House was going at it, they would be done almost instantly. Unless this was just part one to his fun filled day of sex on the beach. Cuddy hoped that was the case. House would never rush anything unless there was something better coming up next.

House slowed down when he felt her muscles tighten around him. Cuddy dug her nails into the surface of the rock as the tingling sensation flew through her body at the sudden speed change. Her orgasm was still approaching, but slowly this time. It wasn't a good slow; it was an agonizing type of slow that comes with the sudden quickness decline. Cuddy writhed at the cold feeling that coursed through her, eager for House to speed up again.

Cuddy almost broke a nail digging into the surface of the rock when House removed one hand from her hip and circled it around her clit, bringing forth an even stronger, more intense cold feeling. Her hips bucked backwards and moved along with his rhythm, as if it were a way to tell him to quicken the pace.

"House, please," she breathed when he wasn't getting the hint.

"Please what, Cuddy?" he asked, seizing his thrusts and barely touching her clit anymore. He circled his finger on the area around it teasingly.

Cuddy whimpered at the sudden loss of contact. She hated it when he teased her.

"Please…stop teasing me."

"My dear, you'd tease to if you never wanted the sight before you to change. A nice, willing ass in front of you, belonging to someone who will do anything for you…I'd say I should take my time."

Cuddy was fully turned on that it started to hurt. She didn't care how he touched her, as long as some contact was happening.

"Bastard!" she hissed, balling her hands into fists.

"Sorry, not the word I was looking for. I think 'sir' would be more appropriate."

House occasionally brushed his finger against her clit, loving how her hips bucked eagerly every time. He especially loved her half gasps, half cries.

Cuddy felt pathetic that she would resort to calling House 'sir' in order for him to finish the job. She hated it she was that turned on to give him what he wanted. He didn't even like being called sir. He thought that title was reserved for old men. He was proving that he could get Cuddy to do anything when she was turned on. She was aware of that.

"S-Sir," she whispered almost inaudibly, her body making the decisions for her.

"Sir what?" he pressed.

"Dammit, House!" she cried in frustration.

"I'm disappointed in you, Cuddy," he said, voice dropping. "Sir only gets you so far…and I know you want to go farther." He added that with the flick of her clit.

Cuddy didn't want to have to say it, but she needed to finish. She HAD to finish, or she would explode.

"SIR GREGORY HOUSE, YOU FUCKING BASTARD, FUCK ME!" she screamed so loud that her voice bounced off everything concrete and caused an echo in the air.

It must've suited him fine, because before she knew it, they were right back to where they started. He slipped into her completely, thrusting every inch he had to offer.

Because of the teasing period, Cuddy's orgasm hit her suddenly and strongly, leaving her shaking after she filled the skies yet again with her cries.

It wasn't a surprise when she was still turned on after that. Instead of a round two, House helped her to her feet.

"How do you feel about doing it in the ocean?"

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**Thanks for reading. Please review! Also, I'm severely running out of ideas, which would explain the not so frequent updates. Please, if anyone has some, I would love to hear them through a review or a PM! *begs* Thanks!**


	17. Determination

**Once again, thanks everyone for the great reviews, as well as the suggestions and opinions! I want to write things that keep you guys coming back! For those of you who said I need to focus more on the rescue and Wilson and Cameron, you got it! Thanks for the suggestions! And also, don't rush my story! I enjoy taking things slow and occasionally side to side instead of forward. When the time is right, they will be rescued!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Hawaii so happened to be the largest destination in the world for couples on honeymoons, vacations, or just wanting to get away. They had more tourists in a month than actual people living there on the island full time. The reason Wilson chose Hawaii is not because of the vacations, but because they are also one of the few states that have the best private jet service within location and were the most lenient. If they could go about rescuing kittens and other animals from harrowing situations, Wilson was almost sure that for the right price, he could bribe them to find House and Cuddy until he was either broke, or was certain they were dead. It was going to take a lot for him to see door number two, but that didn't mean that a twinge of doubt wasn't in there somewhere.

"Am I an idiot?" Wilson asked, just as his and Cameron's plane touched the runway to Honolulu's International Airport after eighteen hours of travel from New Jersey, and that included a horrendous layover somewhere in California while waiting to be departed to Hawaii. It was times like this that Wilson wished he had a private jet of his own.

"Because you think that hopping a flight to Hawaii randomly with the determination to rent a private rescue plane to go blindly rescue friends is something that happens every day? I don't know, what do you think?"

"If you thought this idea was dumb, you could've stayed home," Wilson said, in all seriousness. He wasn't too comfortable with her tone.

Cameron's face straightened out immediately once she saw he didn't find her joke at all pleasing.

"I was kidding. You need to relax."

"There's more of a chance that I won't find them than I will. This is hard enough for me right now that I don't need your witty humor."

"You asked me a question and I answered it. Don't ask it if you can't handle it."

Wilson and Cameron had never been together so much than they have in the past couple weeks, and especially the past two days while traveling together. During their layover, they became closer through conversations and just merely being in one another's presence. It also helped that the two were on the same mission. It meant everything to Wilson that someone shared his passion for not giving up until House and Cuddy were found. Now, he wasn't so sure Cameron felt that way. Maybe now after she's made the trip and had time to think, she's thinking otherwise. Or she just came with him to keep him company.

"Don't get snippy with me," Wilson said flatly. "This is hard enough already that you don't have to go there."

Of course, coming with closeness, comes the arguments. They've been having a rather run of them lately. They weren't anything serious, but just enough for Wilson to second-guess Cameron's aim on this trip.

"You need to relax," Cameron said, trying not to sound too harsh. Half the reason they got into their little tiffs is because Wilson couldn't handle even the lightest humor to guide him along the rough patches this adventure had to offer. He was so serious around the clock and normally that's okay for Cameron. It takes certain people to get her to want to use humor and small talk. With Wilson, she just wanted to see him lighten up. The odds were against them. There's a miniscule chance they would succeed. The closer Cameron got, the more she had to wonder if this was all a mistake. She hoped to one day see Hawaii, but hoped to be here on her honeymoon. She never figured this was how she would end up here.

"Is that how it's going to be between us now?" Cameron asked as the large aircraft set in place beside the terminal. "Arguing every chance we get?"

"There is no 'us' Cameron," Wilson said, unbuckling his seatbelt. "You're here for House and Cuddy. _I'm_ here for House and Cuddy. That's all it is."

"Regardless of what we're here for, you don't have to bite my head off every time I talk to you."

Neither of them said anything after that. Not one word was spoken the entire time through the airport, baggage pick up, and to the car that waited outside to take them to their hotel. Cameron led the way while Wilson trailed a few steps behind. Neither of them looked at the beautiful sights around them, for they were too busy with their own thoughts and worries about House and Cuddy. They were also worried about the tension between them. Cameron was sure that they were bickering because of what they were going through. Wilson briefly talked to someone about a private rescue plane but it wasn't officially confirmed. They could be out here for nothing. Wilson figured that since money was the universal language, he could get anything he wanted. It didn't always work that way. And he was going about it all wrong. If he seemed desperate, they would take advantage of him and try to suck more money a day out of him. So far, it was already going to be ten grand per day, or so they said. It's only an estimate. It could go as high as twenty. Wilson didn't have that kind of fast cash. It was like a gambling addiction. Cameron was worried about him.

The weather in Hawaii was very dry. It was normal for this time of year. Cameron drew in the warm, salty sea air that bounced off the Oahu just across the way from the airport. Seagulls sung and beautiful Hawaiian women draped gorgeously hand made red and white lei's around Wilson and Cameron's necks as a sign of affection and welcome the minute they stepped outside to meet their driver. Seeing them smile made Cameron smile. Wilson, however, seemed to have a one-track mind and didn't pay much attention to them. He was too busy looking for the car.

Cameron wished she were here for a completely different reason, other than to be taking shots in the dark in finding two people who could be anywhere within a thousand mile radius from there, on an island, adrift on the water, or food in shark's stomachs. Either way, finding them would take nothing short of a miracle.

The only words that came from Wilson and Cameron's mouths once they were in the car was for their driver to take them to the hotel. Other than that, they were quiet. Wilson wanted to talk to get rid of some of the stuffiness in the car and cautiously glanced over to Cameron. It was clear she had other things on her mind. She spent the entire drive to the hotel staring out the window, taking in the beauty Hawaii had to offer, but did so solemnly. She sighed inwardly. After awhile, she no longer cared for the beautiful beaches and the sexy toned men that took a second look in her direction as the car continued on down a stretch of beach. Her mind went to House and Cuddy. Where they still alive somewhere? If so, what were they doing now? House had to have detoxed already. He must've been a pain to deal with, especially if Cuddy was with him. If she was, she would've taken care of him. She's just as stubborn as he is, if not, more stubborn.

Cameron assumed they were together. One couldn't survive without the other. Would House try to save her if she were in this situation instead of Cuddy? Would he care enough to do so?

"What are you thinking about?" Wilson asked carefully, snapping Cameron out of thought.

She wasn't aware at the moment, but a tear had fallen from her eye while being lost in thought. She brushed it away quickly, shaking her head. "It's nothing."

"Talk to me, Cameron," he said gently, placing his hand over the roof of hers, squeezing gently.

"Ah, newlywed trouble? I guessed that," the driver said, glancing in the mirror back at them.

"We're not married," Wilson said, taking his hand back to try to prevent any further discomfiture brought on by the driver.

"Oh…engaged then? You figure Hawaii will spruce up your lives, yes?"

"We're here on business," he said in a "mind your own business" attitude. "My colleague isn't used to the weather here and she feels a little ill."

Cameron didn't say anything. She wasn't interested in small talk at the moment and sank back into thought. Wilson fell quiet also. She half wished that Chase and Foreman came with them. Chase especially. Even though things were uncomfortable between them for a little while, they were starting to build a relationship. Chase wasn't being supportive at all with Wilson's rescue attempt and Foreman just wished them luck. The both of them thought this was the dumbest idea Wilson could ever come up with. Cameron was the only one who understood his desperation to find hidden answers and make sense of things, even if that meant going to Hawaii and looking for them himself. The rescue team did a horrible job. The searches only lasted a week, possibly a few days over, and they only searched in the vicinity of the plane crash, not taking in the fact that there were wind changes and a change of tide that night, which would automatically blow House and Cuddy off track by miles.

When the roster came up as House and Cuddy not listed among the dead, it still wasn't enough to convince them that they could be alive out there. They could easily have been ejected from the plane upon implode. It might not have been enough to convince them that they were alive, but it was enough to convince Wilson. House was too damn stubborn to die in a plane crash and even more stubborn to let Cuddy die in that way also. House's life wasn't ending there and that was the only thing that drove Wilson this far. That, and the help of Cameron. Her encouragement, especially after the funeral, had helped a lot in influencing this decision. So why the change of heart? Why now when they were so close to their goal in searching for them? Cameron didn't have an answer to that, but she better hurry and think of one because those were Wilson's next words to her after they arrived at the hotel.

"We're looking for a needle in a haystack, pardon the cliché." Cameron tossed her suitcase onto the bed.

"Then why did you come with me if all you have to provide is negativity?" he asked, wanting to do without the unenthusiastic behavior.

"I'm not being negative, I'm just being nervous. Something like this doesn't happen every day, Wilson. People don't just lose their bosses to an unexplained plane crash and then go looking for them because everyone else stopped looking. There's virtually no chance in us finding them, no matter how stubborn House is, or how determined Cuddy is. You have to admit that you're practically burning your own money, and for what? If we find House, he's just going to shrug it off and call you an idiot. Cuddy might be thankful but that's it."

Wilson sent a heavy frown in her direction. "You think I'm doing this for thanks? House is my friend. Let him be pissed at me, at least he'll be alive. You would do it for Chase, right?"

"That's different. We're…sort of a couple. You and House aren't."

"Maybe so, but he's still my friend. I'll search the ends of the earth for him if need be. I'm not ready to let him go. I thought you weren't either. Guess I was wrong."

He turned around and left her room, letting the door close automatically behind him. Cameron sat at the edge of the bed with a long sigh and felt her eyes sting with the development of tears. This was such a mess. What was she thinking? It's probably better to let House and Cuddy rest in peace rather than circling the entire pacific ocean for them. But because Cameron didn't want House to be a memory yet, she was here. The incident also somewhat brought her closer to Cuddy. Ever since Cameron started working at the hospital, she knew she would have issues with her. They never spoke, unless it was necessary. Cameron could go for weeks without saying one word to her. She liked it that way. But at the funerals, holding onto her awards and diplomas and such, she knew she wasn't ready to see Cuddy leave either. Cameron had so much hope that they were out there somewhere, alive and well, but the facts displayed before her made that hope become smaller and smaller. But she promised herself she'd be Wilson's backbone in this, and so far, she was letting her opinions run things.

Cameron stood after brushing away her final tear and headed to the neighboring room. He figured it would be better if they had separate rooms and she didn't argue.

She became alarmed when she heard him yelling from inside his room. He was on the phone with someone. Listening in, Cameron stood in front of the door and leaned in, although that wasn't necessary. His voice was heard as clear as day from any point in the hallway.

From the sounds of it, he was talking to the folks that were working on setting him up with a private rescue jet. It didn't sound so good. Cameron's heart flip-flopped when she heard him ask them why it couldn't be done right away.

The further Cameron listened in, she realized that they might have made the trip for nothing. She tenderly knocked on the door after Wilson harshly told the person on the other line to get back to him as soon as possible.

When Wilson answered the door, Cameron knew. He didn't even have to say anything. All she had to do was read the expression on his face.

Their trip wasn't as positive as they hoped.

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**Thanks for reading..Please Review! Suggestions are always welcome! However, do avoid the ones that tell me to speed the story up!**


	18. Clearance

**Sorry for the delay in updating! Real life has been so cruel to me that I haven't had it in me to write :( But as always, thanks for the reviews everyone!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Three Weeks Later

Cameron was staring off into space while sitting on the edge of the bed in her hotel room. They were only supposed to be there for two days, so they were unable to keep the same rooms, for their reservations ran out and the rooms needed to be given to someone else. They've changed rooms eight times now in the past three weeks and it was becoming tiresome. However, Wilson refused to give up. He was on the phone every day with the people from the airport that still wouldn't give him a straight answer about renting a private jet. As the days went on, Wilson became much edgier and Cameron was just waiting for the moment when he would let something slip. He wasn't the Wilson she knew. On several accounts, they had to share a room because of the hotel being booked in advance to other guests and there wasn't enough rooms for the both of them. Wilson being edgy had also put a strain on his friendship with Cameron on multiple occasions. They've argued more times in the past few days than in the entire time they've known each other.

At the moment, Wilson was on the phone with someone for the hundredth time. He wasn't getting through to anyone and it was starting to bother her most of all because she would be getting the back draft once he was done.

What were they doing here? As the days went forward, and money was being wasted, Cameron had to wonder if what they were trying to attempt would actually pay off. She had this doubt when they first came here, but now it was really sticking. Between Wilson picking at her and stepping beside himself to yell at someone else, everything was just so trying. Wilson had done everything to try to get through to these people. He probably shouldn't have offered them more money, because now that's all they're going to want is more money. It would be the same with anyone. Instead of telling him that they wanted more money, they would keep denying that figure and make up some excuse on why that wasn't good. He didn't know how to handle people over the phone evidently. Many times, Cameron wanted to step in and rip the phone out of his hand to tell the greedy bastard on the other line that the sum he's offering is what they're going to get and that they'd be over that afternoon to get the jet.

Just then, Wilson hung up the phone and turned to face Cameron. "I don't believe it," he said, face contorted in shock.

"What?" she asked, hopeful.

He paused before speaking to let it enter his mind. His eyes were wide. "We're…flying out tomorrow morning."

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"I'm telling you, we shouldn't have done it in the water," Cuddy said as House started feeling nauseous off and on since then, along with a constant fever and abdominal pain.

"Cuddy, that was three weeks ago. Don't you think that if it was the water, we would've seen something a while ago? And that wouldn't make me nauseous."

Cuddy shrugged and pressed a damp leaf against his head. "I don't know, House. Food poisoning?" she offered.

"Over crabs and bananas?" he answered doubtfully.

"How about the water then?"

"We boil the water from the streambed, Cuddy."

He sounded like he was attacking her, as if her answers weren't good enough.

"Just relax," she said, dabbing his forehead.

House groaned and closed his eyes. "What about you?"

Cuddy frowned. "What about me?"

"Yeah. You're pregnant."

Cuddy sighed and slapped the leaf back into the water. "I'm not pregnant, I told you that a hundred times already. I think I would know if I was."

She dabbed his forehead with a dry leaf that would soak up any water droplets left on his face.

"You missed your last period."

"I'm not a regular."

"You're not on the pill."

"So?"

"How many times have we had sex? Don't answer that. How many times have we had protection? That you can answer at any time."

"I'm not pregnant, House. I think it's safe to say by now that I can't get pregnant."

"Why? Because you had a few failed attempts with donors? I'll have you know that my boys are no pushovers."

"Do your boys also prevent symptoms of sickness? If I was pregnant, House, I would know it. We've been on this island for six weeks and had sex the second night. Trust me, my sickness symptoms are murder."

He shrugged. "Okay then, fine, be in denial. I'm over here puking my brains out, join the clan."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. She was about to say something when a strong wave of nausea caused her to lower her hand that held the leaf and groan.

"Told ya," House said with a smirk while Cuddy's free hand went up to be placed over her forehead.

"Nausea doesn't mean anything. You're nauseous and I'm not jumping right to the conclusion that _you're_ pregnant."

"Well DUH. Face it, Cuddy, you have a little person inside you."

Cuddy suddenly became quiet, as if she had no idea it was even feasible that women were meant to carry babies. It made sense. She was nauseous and felt ill but she only assumed she felt that way because of House, or because of something she picked up while being stranded on the island. It never occurred to her she might be pregnant.

"What am I going to do?" she asked in all seriousness. "I can't have a baby on the island!"

"You should've thought about that before you begged for Little Greg to overpower your squish mitten."

"Shut up," she spat, feeling another wave of nausea overcome her. She didn't feel like hearing his sarcasm at the moment. "This is a serious matter and you're still a bastard."

House snatched the leaf from Cuddy, seeing as though she wasn't doing the job anymore. He pressed it against his own forehead. "What do you want me to do? Cry about it? It's _your_ parasite. I don't have to share any sort of sympathy with you."

"It's not a parasite, House, and it's yours too. Unless you're convinced there's another guy on the island that I'm sleeping with," she said sarcastically. "That wouldn't surprise me in the least with you."

"Should we go a round and see if it's true?" he asked, winking his brow at her midsection and added a little growl in his throat.

"No," she said simply and in a bit of a pout.

"Oh come on, Cuddy, don't be so whiny. See, that's another symptom right there."

Her mouth dropped. "It is not! It's—"

Cuddy stopped dead when House wrenched the upper half of his body to the side and started to cough violently. She involuntarily placed her hands on his shoulders and rubbed them to try to calm him down. This wasn't the first time he suddenly started coughing. It wasn't a normal cough either; it was one of those ones where you'd swear a lung was coming up. Promptly, he vomited. Cuddy knew it was coming and fetched an oversized seashell for him. Since he already had an episode like this earlier in the week and once three weeks ago, she was prepared. There wasn't much in his stomach after this morning.

The area around his eyes were red while the rest of him was pale. Cuddy placed her hand over his forehead, worried.

House sighed after that was over and laid on his back again. "Great," he said during the exhale. "You're pregnant and I've got some tropical disease. Although, the thing was conceived in a tropical area so I guess we both contracted tropical diseases."

Cuddy found it hard not to roll her eyes, even after witnessing him throwing up again. He took away the actual seriousness of this but Cuddy knew how intense it was. With whatever House had, it was a lot more serious than what was on the surface. He wasn't going to get well on his own, which means he needed some sort of antibiotic. Since they couldn't get that, he would only get worse. And if Cuddy really was pregnant, that wasn't getting any better either.

Cuddy laid beside House and rested her head on his shoulder. At this point, they would need a miracle to get out.

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**One more chap to go with them on the island and they finally get rescued! Review, pretty please :)**


	19. Tell Me You Love Me

**Because of all the wonderful reviews I got (and because I'm enjoying this story a lot more than usual) I've updated quicker than the norm! So thanks everyone for your support and the reviews! :)**

**Enjoy :)**

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The secretary belonging to this really classy, take-no-nonsense airport that rented private jets to celebrities and evidently rescued animals from the wilderness eyes lit up when Wilson slapped down a check on the counter that was a very generous sum. It was way more than what he should've paid, but since he was desperate to get their attention, they sucked more money out of him than usual. Wilson didn't seem to notice or care that he was taken for a ride from these people. As long as they gave him a plane, he didn't care how much it cost.

Cameron was just excited that they were actually going somewhere. Staying cooped up in hotel rooms that ranged from cheep to pricy for the past three weeks due to the lack of reservations was tough. To top that off, she had to listen to Wilson yell on the phone daily for hours at a time, stepping beside himself. Now, he was glowing. It was a wonderful thing to see.

However, there was still an even greater chance they wouldn't be found. So they ended up getting over one hurdle, there was still one great one to go. Wilson had everything mapped out, right down to the way the wind blew House and Cuddy off course the first night.

When they got settled into the jet, Wilson mapped out the coordinates they were at right now while at the airport and marked it down on the map. He was just as into this as he was since day one, only now that it was finally happening, he couldn't sit still. He jabbered on about what course they should take and since the wind was hitting them southeast, it was better they swayed off course and hit House and Cuddy's course a little differently. Cameron admired Wilson's determination. After being with him for the past three weeks, every single day, she's learned a lot about him when he was able to talk properly and not yell.

Now, he put a big smile on her face. They virtually had no chance in finding House and Cuddy, alive or dead. The Pacific is a huge ocean and to find two people in the allotted three hours they were given, it just didn't seem feasible. Cameron admired Wilson's optimism. She only hoped he wouldn't fall if the search became a failure.

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"See, I told you that you were pregnant," House said as Cuddy came back after excusing herself for the second time that morning to step out of the cave to lose the rest of her breakfast.

Cuddy had been in denial the entire time because of their current situation. She didn't want to have a baby on the island and probably should've been more careful. But who thinks of the consequences before sex? If things weren't bad already, they were about to get worse.

"Oh great, why are you crying now? Is this another hormonal issue I have to deal with?" House asked, fighting off another wave of nausea, due to an undiagnosed sickness of his own.

Cuddy hid her face from House. He could tell she was crying because of her shoulders twitching. He would've said something but ended up turning over to one side and coughing as if he had something caught in his throat. Cuddy didn't seem to notice.

"Uh…hello? I'm kind of dying over here," he said sarcastically when she didn't so much as make a smidgen of eye contact.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to be concerned for you but you can't be concerned for me?" she shot back.

"Why should I be concerned for you? You're _pregnant_. Your symptoms are natural and not frowned upon. Mine, however, are _not_ normal."

"That's not the point," she murmured, tossing him a damp leaf to bring the fever down.

The leaf hit him in the face. "Well, thanks a lot. So what is the point then?"

Cuddy shook her head and scooted away from him. A tear slid down her cheek. "Forget it. You don't understand. I was an idiot for thinking you just might."

He grabbed a hold of her wrist just seconds before she was too far away to reach.

"I'm sick, Cuddy," he said in all seriousness, looking up at her. "I don't know what I'm saying."

"Right, House, so is that going to be your excuse all the time? This isn't the first time you've been this way with me. Every time you open your mouth, something negative is thrown at me. I might be carrying your baby on a deserted island with no rescue in sight." Cuddy was worried and her face showed it. "Do you know how serious that is? For me and for the baby?"

House nodded almost unnoticeably. "I know. I'm sorry."

Cuddy shook her head, letting loose another tear. "No you're not. You're a selfish bastard and I should've known you'd never change," she murmured and attempted to get away once more.

What she didn't expect was for House to pull her by the wrist and initiate a kiss. He pulled her so hard that she lost her balance while shifting away and crashed down upon him. It happened so quickly that she didn't have time to put her arms out and stop her from falling over him. A tiny cry was muffled when their lips met.

Cuddy melted in his arms. His kisses did that to her, no matter what frame of mind she was in. She almost forgot why she wanted to flee in the first place.

"House, no," she breathed onto his wet, salty lips, due to her tears getting in the way.

"No what?"

"You can't keep covering up what you want to say with a kiss and trying to distract me from the truth."

House frowned. "Huh?"

"Just say it," she said, looking into his eyes lovingly and cupping his cheek.

Acting like an idiot, House kept his frown and pretended to have no idea what she was talking about.

"I've said it to you twice already. I know it's hard for you, but I don't know how much longer we'll be here alone together, whether we get rescued, or we…one of us dies."

"You expect me to spill my guts to you just because you might die carrying that parasite?"

"I want you to be honest with yourself for a change," she said, tone a little angrier than expected.

"You just want peace of mind when you die a lost cause."

More tears came to Cuddy's eyes. She was a fool for thinking it could be that easy. Did she suddenly forget who she was talking to? Heartless Greg House. Just because he's on a deserted island and has been with her for six weeks straight, sleeping by her side, and exchanging some very passionate moments, he was still the same man she boarded the plane with to go to Japan. What fantasy was she living in to think she could change it?

"Why do you have to be that way? Why can't you admit how you feel?" She was officially grasping at straws. It was her last resort with him to be so low as to try to reason with him.

"I am admitting how I feel. Get off me, you're crushing my lungs," he said, pushing her off to the side and dramatically taking in breaths. "How much do you weigh anyway?"

"I love you," Cuddy erupted suddenly before giving it too much thought.

House looked over at her with wide eyes, completely expecting to hear anything but that come out of her mouth.

"Even though you're an egotistical, self-seeking narcissist, these past six weeks met something to me and I know they met something to you, too. And don't you dare just say it was only the sex part."

He shrugged. "Then I guess it didn't mean anything. Take a nap. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"So…if we ever get off this island, you're not going to be in the baby's life?" Cuddy was hurt. Her voice said it all.

House shifted over onto his side. "Cuddy, where have you been lately? We're not leaving this island alive. I've accepted that already. Having the baby on the island, I have no choice but to be here. Where else am I going to go?"

Cuddy's mouth went dry. What other answer was she expecting? She wasn't exactly making love to a saint here. Where it meant something to her, it didn't mean anything to him. She would just have to accept it.

"All you had to do was ask me to be in the…baby's life. You didn't have to fill my head with false hope," he said sarcastically.

"I wasn't kidding, House," she said. "At this point, does it really look like I want to joke around? I'm trying to be reasonable and you're still an ass."

"I'm SICK!" he said, face sickly falling pale again and the area around his eyes getting redder. "I feel like I have to vomit around the clock and you want me to tell you I love you? You've been after Little Greg since we've been here. Did you really expect not to become pregnant?"

Cuddy's eyes went wide. "Me?! You think this is MY fault? You're the one who couldn't keep your hands off me!" she yelled, voice echoing in the small cave, causing House to wince.

"Indoor voices," he said quietly.

"To hell with you if you think I'm going at this alone," she said venomously. "I may have wanted sex the first time, but all the other times, _you're_ the one who wanted it from me. It was a joint effort, House. I certainly didn't get myself pregnant!"

House rolled his eyes and slapped his hand over his face. Saying he loved her might have saved himself a headache right now.

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Cameron was bored. Two hours of nothing but the Pacific staring back at you while you're up two miles in the sky wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. They have yet to reach their destination where Wilson thinks that the wind that evening the plane went down had shifted House and Cuddy. Wilson planned to follow the trail of coordinates in the same way that the weather and sea patterns were that evening of the crash. From there, they would head northwest. There were hundreds of uncharted islands up north, just east of Japan and heading further east, all the way to Alaska. Thanks to a weather satellite and some very good planning and thinking, Wilson had an idea that if there was any floating debris over a hundred pounds, it would float slower than normal, cutting the trail back a few miles.

Cameron admired his willpower. If she didn't have Wilson being as assertive as he was, she would have accepted House and Cuddy's death at the funerals. If there was any chance at all that House and Cuddy could be brought home, she wanted to be a part of it.

She wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.

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**Okay, I know I said the rescue was coming in this chapter, but it'll come in the next one, promise! Thanks for reading and please review! :)**


	20. Rescue?

**Thank you everyone sooo much for the great reviews! I do apologize for the delay but I hope this chapter makes up for it :)**

**Enjoy :)**

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"Come on, House, you need to eat something," Cuddy mothered, lightly drawing her hand down the length of his arm.

House turned over from his side and onto his back to look up at her. His eyes could barely open and were bloodshot. The area around them still remained red and sickly.

"Does it look like I have the ability to eat right now?" he asked, still able to talk normally, but as far as moving about was concerned, he had a difficult time because he was too weak.

Cuddy because more and more increasingly worried about House. With no rescue in sight, and no proper medicine to cure him, he was in trouble. Both of them were in trouble.

"Oh stop with the tears already. Think about me instead of wondering what to do with yourself after I die."

Cuddy's eyes went wide. "That's not what I'm thinking about, House! And you're not dying."

"Yeah, well, tell my body that. I can't even feel my toes anymore."

That alarmed Cuddy. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well what could you do? Give them an erotic massage and wake them up?"

Cuddy wanted so bad to slap the leaf she had for his forehead against his face, but controlled herself and placed it gently there instead. "Nothing wrong with your sarcasm," she muttered.

His eyes dropped to her chest. "Nothing wrong with your chest either but I'm not complaining."

"Try being on the receiving end for once," she said, referring to his sarcasm.

"Oh I'm on the receiving end all the time…and it's nice," he said, clearly thinking something else.

"Shut up," she murmured, dabbing his head with the makeshift cloth. He had an answer for everything. Unfortunately, this wasn't the time.

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"I'm sorry, Dr. Wilson, but we need to turn back. It's getting too dark to see," the pilot said, having to resort to turning on headlights to see ahead of him and down below. The islands around them were turning into dark silhouettes.

Wilson took the news like one of his closest relatives dying. "We can't turn back now! Who knows when the next time we'll be able to come out again!"

Cameron's heart sank. She knew it was a matter of time before it was time to turn around. They've been searching for twelve hours straight and saw no signs of anything, except vacant islands that didn't appear to have any life on them whatsoever, human or animal.

She rested her hand on his lower arm and instantly felt it tighten. Nonetheless, she kept it there.

"It's okay; we'll come back out tomorrow."

"I wouldn't be putting too much assurance on that, Dr. Wilson. Hurricane season is coming up. All flights to this here area are either grounded or rerouted."

Before Wilson could open his mouth and shout something he'd probably regret, Cameron spoke up for him.

"If we rerouted, can we still end up in this general area?" she asked, calmly and collectively.

Much to both their disappointments, the pilot shook his head. "As I told you, no can do. Here and a fifty mile radius from here get slammed with hurricane winds and downpours every season."

"Right, but is it going to happen _tomorrow_?" Cameron asked, starting to feel a little frustrated herself.

The pilot shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but you need clearance again if you want another flight. Generally takes a couple weeks."

Now Wilson was ready to fly off his seat. "A couple of weeks?! I just paid you people a hundred grand to come up into this airplane today and agreed to make donations to your damn company. Either we fly back up here tomorrow, or this is going to be taken into the hands of the legal system."

Threatening him like that probably isn't one of Wilson's best tactics, but being a step ahead might get him where he needed to go instead of kissing ass and dishing out money when it wasn't necessary.

Wilson knew, as well as Cameron, that they didn't have time to go through the legal system. It would take months, maybe even a year with the way the court system is these days to even make it past the gates. This is why Wilson had to choose his words carefully and stand firmly behind them.

Cameron had his back. She nodded at him and gave his forearm a gentle reassuring squeeze before taking her hand back.

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House awoke to a sound that he was almost positive that he was dreaming. A sound that rare was only heard in dreams these days. But no, it was real. An airplane was in the distance. The first one they've heard since landing on this island ten weeks ago.

"Cuddy," he said, reaching his hand out to grasp her shoulder. He was still fairly weak from his sudden illness so his mild action didn't scare her.

She awoke a second later, thinking something was wrong. Before she could speak, her eyes went wide. She heard the airplane as well. It sounded like it was off in the distance, but probably still reachable.

Cuddy wasted no time in flying out of the cave barefoot onto the beach to vainly attempt to flag the plane down, even though it was too dark to see. All that could be seen as the sound grew further and further away were the flashing lights on the tail of the plane in the distance.

Feeling helpless and thwarted, Cuddy watched the lights get smaller and smaller until they vanished completely in the night sky. She was positive it was a plane and it was there for them.

A feeling of disappointment washed over her and nagged at her heart. For a split second, she thought she was going home. Maybe by miracle, that person would know they were on this island and waiting for them.

She sank to her knees impotently, unable to find the proper strength to hold herself up, but yet, her body felt like it weighed a ton with distress. While watching her only hope to go home leave before her, her eyes grew misty. Now that it was gone, a tear slid down her cheek as light sobs fled from her lips. She was tired, hungry, sore, and getting sick every hour. Watching that plane leave her sight, she felt she had no hope left. Hope was gone, just like that.

"Where were you?" House asked groggily when Cuddy crawled back into the cave.

"Nowhere," she murmured, getting back onto the makeshift bed she hated so much already and hated even more now that right now they could be on their way home.

"You were gone for twenty minutes," he pointed out. "Was it a plane?"

They couldn't see one another, for in the time that Cuddy was gone, it grew too dark to see anything and neither of them felt like starting a fire. That's another thing Cuddy kicked herself mentally for not doing.

"Just go to sleep, House," she murmured.

"Was it?" he asked again.

"Did it sound like one? Yes, so therefore, it must've been one," she snapped unintentionally.

House hummed in thought. "So if you made an SOS out of logs like I told you to do the day we came here, we'd be going home."

He couldn't see it, but Cuddy turned her head in his direction with an angry frown. "Don't you dare blame this on me."

"Hey, I'm the cripple. I can't move logs and whatnot. And you can't yell at me now. I'm sick," he said and let out a fake cough.

"You weren't sick two months ago, House. And from what I can see, you did a good job walking up to the streambed on your own. You can move about the beach and collect branches for a rescue signal. Instead, I had to do all the work around here. _I_ had to chase crabs, _I_ had to get seashells for the water, _I_ had to climb the streambed daily, and what did you do? You studied fucking _plants _and whined about sex the whole time!"

House usually didn't know when to stop. Even when he was ill, he was still an ass. But after hearing Cuddy's tone, his mouth snapped shut.

Silence occurred between them for a moment. That's when he heard a small sob come from Cuddy. He couldn't see her, but felt around for her hand to give it a gentle squeeze. The contact made her comfortable to let out a few more sobs.

"I'm sorry, Lisa," he said in a low voice. "I know out of all the billions of people in this world, I would not be your first choice to be stuck on an island with."

Cuddy shook her head. House felt her hair brushing back and forth against his hand.

"But just think of it this way, chances are if we heard a plane once, we'll hear it again, right?"

Cuddy shook her head again. "I don't know, House. I'm scared." She let out another short sob. "I'm so scared."

"Scared of what?" he asked, matching her low tone and shifting a few inches towards her so their heads almost rested against one another. His hand never left hers. "Of never getting rescued?"

"So many things are running through my mind right now, but…I'm mostly scared for you. House, you know just as well as I do that whatever you have isn't going to go away on its own. Whether it's from the crabs, getting lazy with boiling the fresh water from the streambed, or some other tropical disease, you know just as well as I do that you could…"

"Die?" House offered.

Cuddy didn't answer back. House reached his hand out and found the hair at the side of her head and threaded his fingers into it. Cuddy shifted her head over and rested it against his chest, crying lightly.

"I promise you that the end of Gregory House will not be some stupid tropical disease, nor will it be this island. You've been strong so far for me, Cuddy, don't give up now."

Silence fell between them. After falling asleep, neither opened their eyes until morning

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It was clearly obvious that Wilson sucked at negotiation. He figured since money was the universal language, he could toss it around like a hot potato. Because it is the universal language and everyone was out to stick their greedy fingers into the pot, they wanted more money from him to fly up the next day and at such short notice. They made up a fee for just about every little thing, including mileage on the fuel. It was because they could. Wilson didn't listen when Cameron said she could get in there and bargain properly. It got to the point where she had to shove Wilson aside and speak the way it was supposed to be spoken. In the end, they were able to go back up the next day without paying any hidden fees or anything additional. It amazed Wilson. Cameron was able to get everything to slide.

Cameron was proud of herself and wore a smile to prove it.

"That was great," Wilson said, astonished. He wasn't able to get anywhere.

"You have to let them know you mean business."

"I should've let you handle it from the start," he chuckled.

"Yeah, well, this better work. I have a feeling we won't be getting anymore freebees after this."

Swiftly, Wilson scooped Cameron up into a hug. It took her by surprise. She let out a tiny involuntary yelp.

"Thank you so much, Cameron," he said. "For coming with me, for putting up with me, and just about everything else."

Cameron chuckled. "And for saving you another hundred grand?" she said sweetly.

He nodded and took his arms back. "Yes, that too."

"Just keep your fingers crossed we'll find something."

She didn't have to tell him twice.

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Cuddy's worry about House was continuing to grow. Ever since they got up that morning, he hasn't been able to sit upright for more than a minute and his entire body fell weaker and weaker by the hour. She wanted nothing more than to be by his side, but he told her to go set up the logs and twigs on the beach just in case the plane came back again today. She did that at sunup. Now, noon was rolling in and instead of being focused on a rescue, Cuddy was focused on House. All he did for the past two hours was moan and groan and not even have the strength to open his eyes all the way. The areas around his eyes was redder than yesterday or any of the previous days. Whatever he had was greatly taking its toll and overpowering him.

This wasn't the first time that Cuddy shed tears over this, even though she pushed herself on several occasions not to. It was getting to the point where she was tired of being strong. It was getting her nowhere. House was sick with god knows what and giving up on himself. She didn't have the strength to be strong for the both of them. She's a doctor, she sees how diseases and sicknesses claim lives. She's always the one in the room, giving the loved ones comfort and a shoulder to cry on if necessary. Who's going to be _her_ shoulder, _her_ rock? No one. She had no one. Lisa Cuddy is a very strong-willed, determined woman, but if someone saw her now, they wouldn't believe it. They would see someone that's about ready to give it all up. If House died, a part of Cuddy would die with him and there will be nothing to pull her back from the endless state of depression she will encounter, whether she gets rescued or not.

Cuddy's tears fell down her face and mixed in with the bowl of water she used to dip the makeshift washcloth in. She dabbed his forehead to try to break the fever. It was worsening now. Cuddy feared she would have to wet him down with the seawater to cool him. He had a mild fever already, but as of last night, it got worse to the point where his mind was racing in his sleep.

"House, talk to me," she said, dabbing his face.

His eyelids flinched and his eyes opened half way. "My stomach hurts," he said, using a voice halfway in between a whisper and a groan.

Cuddy reached around for a seashell full of water. "I need you to drink something, okay?"

House nodded ever so lightly and parted his lips. Cuddy lifted his head up underneath her forearm and fed him the water. He drank it easily, sighing afterwards.

Cuddy set the seashell down and then reached back in front to grab the hand that rested on his stomach. He caught notice of her looking at him with so much sympathy that not even him laying like this in agony could take.

"Stop crying," he whispered. It was just easier for him to whisper. "I'm sick of hearing you."

"Too bad, live with it."

"It'll only kill me faster," he grumbled.

The small smile that tugged at the corner of Cuddy's mouth with House's light humor before had disappeared now. "You're not going to die and I don't want to hear that again," she said firmly.

He shook his head and it looked like he was struggling to swallow. "I feel it."

Cuddy's heart pounded so loud in her chest that her temples started pulsing. "What does that mean?" she asked worriedly.

House had to pause and draw in a breath before speaking. It was short and shaky, scaring Cuddy.

"It's…one of those things you f-feel."

Cuddy shook her head as more tears fell from her eyes. A quiet sob escaped her lips as she placed her hand over his forehead. "You aren't leaving me, you understand? This entire time, you've kept me going. In a weird, twisted sort of way, you were my rock, Gregory House. Don't you dare think you can get off easy by dying." Her voice cracked on a few points. It didn't even severely hit her yet that he could stop breathing at any second. Hell, it didn't even occur to her that he could die, _period_. Not House the Invincible.

When she was about to put in her second round of begging him to hold on, she heard the plane again. She froze in place and listened for it, but didn't think to much about it at first, for she figured she was just hearing things.

"My god, I can hear it, House," she said, eyes wide when the sound became louder. "I can hear the plane!"

For the first time since they arrived on that island, Cuddy's spirits were lifted so high that she could fly. She stepped out of the cave just in time to see the airplane come into view straight ahead of her. It was coming right at her, as if the driver knew they were there and coming for them.

Cuddy's sad tears were replaced with happy ones as she waved her arms above her head. She didn't even bother shielding her eyes from the intense sun. She wanted to remember this moment for as long as she lived.

Then she said three words she never thought she would ever say again—"I'm going home."

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**I did promise a rescue in this chapter, but the majority of it will definitely take place in the next chapter. Thanks for reading. Please review :)**


	21. Not So Happily Ever After

**Again, I do apologize for the lack of updates! And as always, a big, BIG thanks to everyone who reads, and extra bigger thanks to everyone who reviews! I wanted to make this chapter longer, but as someone once told me, a small chapter is better than no chapter at all, right?**

**Enjoy :)**

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Wilson knew that today was the day. Thanks to Cameron's fast-talking and clever intelligence, they were able to go back up again and to save time, he knew exactly where he was going. Whether it was because of his smart moves in mapping out the areas first, according to whether patterns and the drifting of the ocean that night, or that there was an invisible magnet pulling him in that direction. He didn't know which it was, but what he did know for sure was that House and Cuddy were on one of those islands out there. He just hoped that in the light, he could see if there was life on any of the islands, preferably one that held a healthy set of doctors hoping and praying to get off that island and go home.

Nonetheless, there was also another side of Wilson, the devil on the left shoulder if you will, that told him he was wasting him time, or that he was too late to save them. They were killed in the crash and he was just grasping at straws at this point. He listened to both sides the entire time, but today, he listened to the angel on the opposite shoulder, because this was the day they would either make or break it. And Wilson knew he would make it.

"Are you okay?" Cameron asked, lightly placing her hand over his knee.

Wilson let out the breath he was holding. "Yeah. I've never been this nervous before in my life."

He knew it was his last chance in going up there. Unless he wanted to dish out another hundred thousand dollars for this company's foundation, this was it. He wouldn't waste a second in doing so, but the next hundred grand is going to be a lot harder to come by than the first hundred grand. Wilson was worth a lot more than that, it was the matter of collecting the money where he was staying that was the issue. And he didn't want to wait any longer. He hoped that twelve hours in the sky would be enough for him to acquire the answers that he was looking for.

Sometimes Cameron felt that they were chasing ghosts. Another tedious day, stuck in an airplane for twelve hours wasn't exactly her cut of the cake, but she promised herself when she volunteered to go with Wilson that she would help him out in any way she could. Mostly she was just there for moral support. There's no way he could do this alone. He'd end up being fleeced out of his own clothing with the way he negotiates. But this was it. Their last chance was now.

"We'll find them," Cameron blurted involuntarily. She didn't mean to say that without proper proof.

Luckily, Wilson didn't dwell too much on those words. At least it didn't appear that he did.

"I hope so," he whispered, staring up at the roof of the plane. "God, I hope so."

Little did he know at that time, three hours later, they would be found.

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The plane was going an extraordinary speed of many miles per hour but to Cuddy, it looked as if it were in slow motion. But it did definitely see her waving like a mindless idiot with a huge grin on her face and tear soaked cheeks. Cuddy never felt more pathetic in her life and she could care less. Her knees trembled so much that they almost gave out.

The plane blocked her sunlight as it hovered over the island, looking for a proper place to land. The beach was huge, so it had many options. Cuddy backed off a little as it slowly came down. The wind from the propellers made her shield her eyes and tame her hair. She never took her eyes off the plane as it landed, even though they stung from the harsh winds. Good thing it rained the night before, otherwise there would be kicked up sand involved as well.

Who she saw jump out of the plane many feet away was a sight she never thought she'd see again, except for in her dreams. Her sobs came out more freely as he came closer and closer.

"Lisa!" Wilson shouted half way there, running like the wind.

She wanted to run after him, but couldn't find the strength, so she walked instead. It was definitely him, despite the blurry eyes, making his frame hard to see as it closed in on her.

Cuddy melted when he hugged her so hard that she was almost sure the arms around the back of her neck would pop her head off. Both of them were in messes as they hugged for what seemed like hours. Cuddy also felt another pair of arms around her from the side. They belonged to Cameron.

Was this a dream? It was too unrealistic to be realistic. Two people, especially her employees, don't just randomly drop from the sky with a means of transportation to go home after all this time and never hearing another plane in the area.

Wilson was so overcome with emotion that he couldn't speak. Cameron did all the talking.

"I can't believe it," she said, wiping tears away from her eyes. "What are the chances?" she added, following a chuckle.

Cuddy found herself grasping Wilson's arms to feel if he was really there, as if the giant hugs weren't enough proof. If this was a dream, it was very cruel. Wilson and Cameron assured her this wasn't a dream and that they were going back home.

Both of them were extremely thrilled and relieved to have found Cuddy that they didn't even think about House. Cameron was the first to look around and inquire about it. Wouldn't he have heard the plane coming and be out there with her?

Alarm splashed across Cuddy's face. She had forgotten about House too in the midst of this. She directed the two into the cave to find House curled up in a fetal position, moaning in pain, followed by a wince here and there. His body trembled.

"Cuddy…" he whispered, eyes closed and unaware of the events before him, "I'm cold."

Cuddy looked to Wilson, begging him with her eyes to save House. He left the cave to go back to the plane to tell the pilot while Cameron stayed in there with them.

She knelt down by House's side and placed her hand up against his forehead. "House, it's Cameron," she said. "Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here."

House's eyes opened in slits. A struggling sound came from his throat as he tried to speak. Cameron's heart dropped at this sight. Here she just got her two bosses back and was faced with the possibility of losing one.

"Don't try to speak. God, he's burning up," she said, holding onto his hand. She looked up to Cuddy. "How long as this been happening?"

Cuddy shook her head. "Less than a week. He has a fever, loss of appetite, the flu, nightmares…"

"The nightmares could be the result of the fever," she said, gently rubbing the pad of her thumb across the roof of his hand. "How severe are they?"

"He woke up one time in a panic because he thought someone was coming after him," Cuddy said, a tear falling down her cheek. "Since when is he afraid like that?"

Cameron looked up at Cuddy sympathetically. "Lisa, it's okay. We're here now. We have a medic on the plane in case we found you. From the looks of it, House will be okay with a shot of antibiotics."

"Yeah, if the source is from unclean water."

"It might be."

"It can't be!" Cuddy defended. "We boiled our water from the streambed; we had fresh water we kept in seashells."

"Did you boil it since day one?" Cameron continued when Cuddy became speechless, "Lisa, it could take weeks for salmonella to form symptoms. Some types of bacteria lay dormant for weeks without any. All it takes is for one sip from contaminated water."

"Then how come I'm not infected? We drank from the same streambed the first night nearly at the same time."

Cameron shook her head slowly. "For all we know, you could already be infected. The more active you are, the less chance you'll see symptoms forming right away. Salmonella spreads quicker through the bloodstream if your body isn't active."

Cuddy shook her head. Tears formed in her eyes. The overjoyed feeling of them being rescued and going home had suddenly vanished with the news on House. Salmonella bacteria wasn't fatal and it could be cured with antibiotics, but the way House looked now, he'd be lucky if he made it to the rescue plane alive! Cuddy's heart sank at the tiny grunts and groans House made when Cameron turned his body slowly onto its side. House involuntarily drew his knees up and hunched over into a fetal position and coughed, followed by a small whimper. That caused a tear to roll down Cuddy's cheek. Cameron looked up at Cuddy, eyes full of sympathy, as if she knew he wasn't going to make it.

"This is ridiculous!" Cuddy cried, throwing her arms out. She didn't like that look Cameron gave her. "It's just a bacteria influx! He's not going to die!"

Cuddy had to wonder if it was Cameron she was reassuring, or if it was herself.

"Lisa, I don't know for sure if that's what it is." Cameron kept her sympathetic tone. "I'm just guessing in theory on what I see for symptoms."

Just then, Wilson and the pilot came into the cave with first aid. A lot of good that would do. Cuddy found herself thinking exactly that. In fact, she also felt herself get a bit angry at the stalling.

"We really just need to leave," Cuddy said, trying to fight her tears.

The pilot was still in a bit of a state of shock. To him, it was almost as if Wilson knew where they were all along, for he found this place so well. The pilot honestly never expected to find anything. Now that he was standing two feet in front of a sick man no less, he really had no clue on what to do. His facial expressions showed it.

"I just fly planes!" he said when all eyes were on him.

House started to groan again, followed by a visible shiver.

"Let's carry him to the plane," Wilson said, wanting to get out of there as much as everyone else did. "Can you handle that?"  
The Hawaiian pilot nodded hastily and handed the first aid kit off to Cameron anxiously.

"Be careful," Cuddy said, expressing huge concern and worry.

She watched the pilot lift House by his legs and Wilson lift House at the other end. She bit her lip nervously. Cameron stepped up carefully beside Cuddy and lightly rested her hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked timidly.

Cuddy shook her head and brushed a tear away. "No. I don't understand it. Three days ago he was fine. I mean, he started feeling a little dizzy and not so hungry, but I never thought he'd end up like this. It doesn't even look like he has the strength to turn over on his own."

Cuddy was completely distraught over this. Cameron had to wonder what really happened between them in the short time they were together on the island. The way Cuddy was behaving, it's clearly something big. But that would have to wait.

Cameron lend a arm to Cuddy, helping her out of the cave.

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**Okay, next chapter, I vow to get them off this island! Suggestions? Comments? Tell me! The only way I can improve is if I'm informed! Thanks for reading :)**


	22. Coming Home

**Has it really been almost a month since my last update?! Wow, time flies...**

**Okay, a few short things before we head on...yes I have changed my pen name! Might be temporary or perminent, don't know yet. I've acquired somewhat of a passion for Desperate Housewives in my short hiatus from writing.**

**Thank you thank you thank you everyone for the reviews! I love them all!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Wilson was more than worried about House. It just didn't hit him until he was knelt beside him on the airplane, flying back to civilization. He held an actual damp cloth to his forehead, trying to break the fever. House wouldn't be getting any antibiotics until they arrived at a hospital. They all hoped he would at least hold on for another six hours.

Holding Harry in her hands, Cuddy looked out the window somewhat solemnly at the place she thought she would be calling home for as long as she lived. As they flew further and further away, her heart sank deeper into the pit of her stomach. She didn't realize how attached she was to that island. Or maybe it wasn't the island itself. Maybe it was the relationship she developed with House in the two and a half months they were there together. They have overcome obstacles that most people wouldn't have to in their lifetime, such as hunt for crabs and climb a mountain to get fresh water. Even though House was a complete stick in the mud half the time, he helped her, and that, in turn, helped their relationship. They worked together, which isn't something that happens too often.

Cuddy wasn't completely sure why she felt this way. Possibly because if House goes home, he will no longer feel what he felt for her on that island. And if she's worried about feeling that way, maybe she has feelings for him as well. Feelings that she doesn't want to disappear just because they were going home. Back home, a romantic relationship with House seemed to be too impossible. She's seen how he acts. It's completely different from how he acted when they were together on the island. Around others, he'll be back to his old self in no time. She wouldn't be surprised that once he opens his mouth after being cured that the first thing he'll call her is an idiot. He won't even have to have a reason. It's the way House is.

Maybe it would be for the better.

"What do you have there?" Cameron asked, sitting beside Cuddy and pointing nonchalantly at the coconut.

Cuddy didn't even see Cameron sit beside her. She was too busy staring out at the ocean below them.

"Hmm? Oh…it's…House's. He named it Harry. Supposedly because the hair was longer on this coconut than the others. I don't know. With House, you just never know."

That had a double meaning to it. Cameron was pretty sure she knew what Cuddy meant. It was clear the two got closer in the short amount of time they were here on this island. They were probably so close to calling it home that they prepared to be with one another for the rest of their lives without any form of life there, except for the trees and shrubs that surrounded them.

Cameron took Cuddy's hand and squeezed it gently in her own. It was so good to see her alive. It was a feeling that Cameron couldn't even begin to describe. In all honesty, she was completely expecting to go home empty handed. She went with Wilson as support. She didn't think they would actually be talking with them again. But just how much of them did they get back? Cuddy did seem very different. Not only was she disheveled to the point where her unwashed hair built up oils and made her hair flat and dull with loose ringlets, body torn up, thanks to random thorns and sharp objects, and her once vibrant blue eyes turning cold and grey, she wasn't all there. Two and a half months alone with the world's biggest jerk on a remote island would do that to a person. But Cuddy didn't look defeated in that way. Lord knew what she had been through, but there wasn't a look of exhaustion on her face. To Cameron, it looked like she wanted to be back on that island with House.

"You okay, Lisa?" Cameron asked, squeezing her hand gently.

Cuddy smiled. It was forced. "Of course I am. I'm going home, right?"

Cameron smiled back and gave her hand an extra squeeze. "Yes you are. A lot has happened while you were gone."

Cameron had figured that if they start talking about something, Cuddy would stop being so solemn. She also took notice in Cuddy's eyes drifting from the window casually to House. She would always appear to have that 'spacing out' look on her face, as if she were in a daydream that would take a lot to snap her out of.

"Starting with a nerdy twenty-something year old Dean of Medicine that is nothing but a huge pain in the ass," Wilson said, speaking from House's bedside.

"Why?" Cuddy asked. She knew they would get a different Dean since she was officially cleared as dead once they couldn't find the bodies. She didn't think it would be a problem.

Wilson sighed. "Well, for one, he's not you. Second, he fired my researchers for drinking coffee in the lab. Third, he cut off Diagnostics without so much as a second thought. And fourth, I think the only reason he got the job is because he's the son of the top benefactor and that pisses me off to no end."

Cuddy frowned lightly. "It's not Zachary Feeney is it?"

Wilson's eyes lit up. "Yes! How did you know?"

Cuddy waved her hand, as if to dismiss the topic. "He's been goading me for years. Him and his father. It's just like him to parade in there and take over what I've left behind."

"How was he goading you?" Cameron asked, officially curious on how Cuddy knew Zachary on this level.

"How do you know him?" Wilson asked as well. "I've never seen or heard of him until he came to the hospital."

"Let met guess…the little shit brushed my death aside like it was nothing, right? Told everyone to just forget about me and move on."

"Well…not in so many words, but yeah, something like that," Cameron said.

"I wanted to bash his face in," Wilson added, still feeling resentment towards Zachary.

"I've known him since he was born. He graduated four years ahead of his class and became a doctor of medicine at twenty-four. I would be jealous of him if he weren't so arrogant and self-centered."

Cuddy's tone sounded bitter and somewhat angry at Zachary. The same question flew through both Wilson and Cameron's heads.

"How do you know him?" Cameron asked again.

Cuddy sighed, as if this were some big secret she's been hiding all along. "He's my nephew."

Wilson and Cameron's eyelids raised a couple of centimeters.

"Didn't you say he was the son of a benefactor?" Cameron asked.

Cuddy nodded. "We don't exactly get along very well either. It's my brother. The oldest. He said he was only sponsoring the hospital with hopes that Zachary could take over as Dean. Shouldn't surprise me. My entire family is against what I do. I'm sure the funerals went down nicely."

Wilson and Cameron exchanged glances. Odd they never knew about this. Cameron felt herself a little angry about what was happening. They were so lucky to have Cuddy back, and yet, this is what she has to come back to. She was almost certain that Cuddy wished she was back on the island with House where all her worries then seemed simple now that she knew what she would be looking forward to once she got home. Not only was House sick, but her nephew took over her job. If he made it legal, she might not be able to get it back. Then what? What would she do? She'd have no support in getting it back. For all she knew, the hospital might like their new Dean more than her.

Cuddy got so upset that she made herself cry. She didn't have much strength to hold herself back in the first place.

"Everything is so ruined now," she said, allowing tears to build up in her eyes. "My family took over what was left of my life. They're probably in the process of selling my home and everything in it. My nephew took over my job." She paused to swallow the lump in her throat. "I don't know if I want to go home."

The grip on her hand that Cameron had grew tighter. She talked to her so calmly and reassuringly. "Don't say that, Lisa. I will do everything I can to make sure that Zachary doesn't stay on as Dean. It's rightfully still your position and your parents have no right to strip your house apart."

"Tell them that," Cuddy said, brushing away her tears. "There's nothing stopping them, is there? I have no will, no successor, nothing."

"Then it will go to the state, not your family."

"And it's not only that." She looked to House, who was still laying on the floor of the plane, laying on his back and not moving a muscle. They got him to breathe on his own, but that's all they could do for now. As soon as the first tear fell from her eye, Cameron had her in her arms, rocking her and shushing her as if she were a child needing comfort.

"We just got you back, Lisa, don't give up on us now. I know things are hard now, but they'll be better. You have Wilson and I on your side. The way Wilson feels about Feeney, I'm sure he'll throw him out single handedly," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. She continued when Cuddy didn't make a sound. "And as for House…you know he'll never give up. He may be a huge pessimistic pain in the ass, but if there's one thing that he'll never do, he'll never allow himself to be subjected to this sort of a death. Knowing him, he'll want to go having the biggest orgasm of his life."

That got Cuddy to chuckle. That wasn't something Cameron would say, even joking around. Cuddy knew she said it for her. It brought a smile to her face. She pulled away, sniffling back her tears.

"Thanks guys. For everything." Cuddy sat back into her seat again. "But…something else is on my mind, too." She chuckled weakly. "Speaking of orgasm. You know how House is. Two months on an island with a woman, no matter who they are, he can't keep it in his pants to save his life."

Cameron's eyes grew wider than last time. "You had sex with House?" she asked, as if it were a huge surprise.

"Yep," Cuddy said, wearing another false smile and letting out a bit of sarcasm. "But that's not the best part. I think I'm pregnant."

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**Review and give opinions! Thanks everyone! :)**


	23. When You Come Back To Me Again

**Thank you so much everyone that reviewed the last chapter and for those of you still following the story after all this time! You guys are my rock! *big group hugs!***

**Enjoy :)**

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"Wait, you're—you're what?" Cameron asked, eyes wide. Even Wilson left House's side to join in on this conversation.

Cuddy smiled, but it was mostly forced. She felt slightly embarrassed talking about this, even more so now that all who had ears was now lending them in.

"I don't expect anything of him," Cuddy said. "I know that once we get back home, he'll be the same way he used to be. It really wasn't much different on the island, really. He was still a sarcastic jerk who I wanted to kick out of the cave to sleep on the beach every night, but…I don't know…A part of me knew he was different. It was in the things he said and his tone when he said them. He told me that he wouldn't want to go home because he had all he needed right there with him," Cuddy remembered, feeling a tear gather in her eye. She didn't realize she'd be so homesick so fast.

"Oh, that's so sweet," Cameron said, wondering if House found some way to get drunk on the island to say that, or was sweet talking his way into her pants.

"That does not sound like House," Wilson said. "I'd pay big money to hear him repeat that."

"That's what I'm saying," Cuddy said. "He said some things that I'll probably never hear again. Him saying them only once had put these feelings inside of me, feelings I know will never be reciprocated."

"Then if you know they won't be reciprocated, you'll be able to let go easier, right?" the medic attending to House had piped in.

Cuddy shrugged. One would hope.

"What are you going to do if you are pregnant?" Wilson asked.

Cuddy shrugged again. "I don't know. I know House won't want it. I've always wanted a child…"

"I'd help you," Cameron suddenly blurted out without thinking.

"Absolutely," Wilson followed up, taking Cuddy's hand.

Cuddy smiled for real this time. "Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot."

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They got back to Hawaii a little over an hour later and rushed House immediately to the nearest hospital. Cuddy was offered a room in a hotel to get cleaned up and rest a bit, but she declined it at first. It took encouragement from Cameron and Wilson to get her to do so. Cuddy was hesitant. She didn't want to leave House's side, for the fear that something might happen to him.

Cuddy's hair was in desperate need of washing and her clothes had so many rips and tears in it that it needed to be taken care of immediately. Anyone stuck on a deserted island for that long without proper washing would no doubt ask for the nearest hotel to get cleaned up.

Not Cuddy. She was more worried about House than herself, which was no big shock. Cameron and Wilson knew she would turn down this offer. They found Cuddy by House's beside once he was hooked up and administered the proper fluids. He was still unconscious, but that didn't stop Cuddy from wanting to stay by his side. She's done it before. Twice.

"Lisa, come on, let's get you some better clothes," Cameron said, lightly placing her hand on her shoulder.

Cuddy didn't even so much as look in her direction. She continued to hold House's hand and stare at him, wishing he would awaken. Or maybe it was something deeper than that.

"I just need this moment," Cuddy said. Her look of hope turned into regret. "Once he wakes up, what we shared will be a distant memory."

"That's not true," Cameron said. "House may be a jerk, but he's not going to forget what happened to you two on the island and what you shared."

A tear fell from Cuddy's eye. He would forget. She's known him longer than she's known anyone else that wasn't family. She knew Gregory House. He would do everything in his power to deny or refuse to admit the moments they had on the island together.

Cuddy took one last look at House and turned to leave the room. It's better to let go now rather than later when it'll be twice as hard.

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Cameron let Cuddy borrow some of her clothes until she got back home and was able to get into her own clothes. They were about the same size, so it wasn't awkward, except Cuddy didn't have much breathing room in a pair of Cameron's jeans and had to wear some drawstring shorts instead.

Half the day had passed before Cuddy was ready to go back to the hospital to be with House. She had to admit that taking a real shower with actual soap and shampoo after two months felt fantastic. She definitely appreciated the value of a shower after that one. Cameron was with her the entire time, keeping her company. It was the ride back to the hospital that they actually had time to talk.

"How did you and House get out of the plane?" Cameron asked. This question had been looming around in her mind for a long time now.

"We jumped. The plane was landing on an angle and when we were about a mile from the water, we jumped, taking our seats with us."

Cameron sighed with relief, as if she didn't know that. "God, that's why they didn't find you when they pulled the passenger list and went down to rescue the bodies."

"They did that?" Cuddy asked, eyes wide.

Cameron nodded. "About a month ago, yeah. That's when Wilson wouldn't wait anymore and was determined to find you guys. He figured that with Feeney running things, he would find some way to fire him and if that happened, he'd never find another job anywhere else, so he would spend the needed time looking for you and House."

Cuddy sighed and threw her hands over her face. "I swear to god Allison, I thought I would spend the rest of my life on that island. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect anyone to come rescue us. I owe you guys so much."

"For starters, a month off with pay would be nice," Cameron joked, sending a warm smile in Cuddy's direction.

Cuddy smiled back. "If I get my job back, that's the first thing I'll grant."

"WHEN you get your job back," Cameron corrected.

"One could only hope. I'm sure since they legally declared me dead, the papers were signed over to Zachary, making his position permanent. The contract couldn't be broken so easily."

"But you're not dead!" Cameron cried out.

"Well, yeah, I know that, you know that, but Princeton Plainsboro doesn't know that and either does Zachary's lawyer, who is probably very good, by the way."

"Lisa, it's _your_ hospital, _your_ baby. They can't take it away from you!"

Cameron was more outraged than Cuddy. They may have found them, alive and well, but did they have anything to come back to? With the diagnostics department gone, House was out of a job. With the little twerp running amok at the hospital and administrating things his way, Cuddy was out of a job if she couldn't reclaim her position as Dean.

"When the papers say that you and House were found, god help him."

"Allison, relax," Cuddy said, noticing her fists tightening around the steering wheel. "When House gets better, we'll be on the first flight home and I'll straighten everything out. Don't worry; I have no intentions of letting my nephew keep my job."

-----------------------

House was still in the same position they had left him in. Wilson had dozed off and was awakened immediately upon their return.

"I'm glad you guys are back. They found out what House had and are giving him antibiotics to cure him."

Cuddy and Cameron sat in the two available seats near him. "What is it? It's some sort of tropical illness, that's obvious," Cuddy said.

"Typhoid fever. But his was so severe that he would've…died if they didn't attend to it right away. His temperature was spiking a hundred and six. They had to use cooling blankets on him when you guys were out."

"Why didn't you call us?!" Cuddy asked, jumping up to House's bedside and feeling his face with the backs of her fingers, as if expecting to feel him burning up still.

"It was over by the time I could dial my first number."

"He could've died," Cuddy said harshly. "See, this is why I didn't want to leave."

"Lisa—"

"No! I'm not leaving this room unless he does. On his own two feet."

"Lisa, he's going to make it. You and Cameron should go back to New Jersey."

Cuddy's mouth dropped, as if that was the stupidest thing anyone's ever said to her. "I'm not leaving without him, James. We've been together for two and half months straight, from the time we woke up until the time we went to sleep. We formed a bond that if last year I saw myself in the present and told me that I would have this bond with House, I would think was completely impossible and I would've laughed myself silly. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead right now. I can't leave him."

Cuddy's face alone begged Wilson to let her stay there, as if the whole thing was up to him.

"Lisa, do you really think House is going to feel the same way about you when he wakes up?" Cameron asked in a small, careful tone. She continued when Cuddy looked back at her. "House will be House, no matter what events he was in. He only acted like that because he wasn't around others. When you get back to the hospital, he'll be back to his old self in no time, ruining MRI scanners, replacing the patient's shaving cream with whipped cream, and being defiant to all personnel, especially you."

"Who's side are you on, anyway?" Cuddy asked. "In the car, you were the one trying to reassure me that House wouldn't forget what happened to us on the island and now you're telling me he'll be back to his old self?"

Cameron sighed and hung her head.

"Why are you both trying to get me to see a white light?" Cuddy asked, looking back and forth between Cameron and Wilson. "Is something happening to House that I should know about?"

"No, no, of course not, sweetie, it's just…we don't want you to be hurt when he wakes up." Cameron laid a supporting hand on Cuddy's shoulder. "And plus…you need to get back to the hospital and get everything in order. You missed out on so much, Lisa. There's a million things that needs fixing to your hospital, starting with throwing out that twerp and getting the diagnostics department back so House has a job to come home to." Cameron lightly rubbed Cuddy's shoulder.

Cuddy exchanged silent glances between the two and then looked over at House the longest. He looked so serene just laying there. If anything, Cuddy wanted to stay there with him and get these last moments in, because she knew he wouldn't be the same as he was on the island. She didn't want to ruin this moment. But Cameron was right. She had so many things to do when she got home. No one even knew they were rescued yet. There was no media circus or a report on anything. If she stuck around until morning, there might be. She didn't want to be stuck in the middle of that, so she agreed to go home with Cameron.

She leaned over and kissed House on the cheek, taking in this moment on how peaceful he looked and knew she'd never see him that way again.

"I'll be waiting for you when you get back, Greg," she whispered, brushing the pad of her thumb over his newly shaved face.

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**I'm roughly giving this two more chapters and then I'm planning a sequel. Whether or not that sequel gets put into production depends on my muse and my time restrictions. You guys also have a say in it, too! Sequel, yay or nay? Oh, and thanks for reading! :)**


	24. Heart To Heart

**Once again, thanks everyone soooo much for the reviews! I never thought the story would go as far as it has and it's all thanks to you guys! *passes around cookies for everyone***

**Enjoy :)**

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It took Cuddy about two seconds after she stepped out of the room that leaving would be the stupidest thing she's ever done. What if House woke up and saw she wasn't there? What would he do? Knowing him, he'd shrug it off and come home like nothing happened. On the other hand, he might feel angry she suddenly decided to abandon him.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked, wondering why she stopped suddenly.

"I can't leave him. I'm sorry, Cameron, I just can't. I want to be by his side."

Cameron smiled small. "I knew you would say that. Come on, at least let me take you downstairs for a sandwich and a cappuccino."

After living on bananas, a sandwich almost made her mouth water. She's eaten since the rescue, but food would always sound good. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to resist.

"Okay," Cuddy agreed. It would be safe to go downstairs just for a little while.

They started walking again, but when Cuddy felt her purse, she stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Cameron asked.

"I'll be right back." Cuddy disappeared into the room. Wilson saw her and frowned.

"I thought you left."

"I'm not," she said, taking Harry out of her purse and setting it down on the nightstand beside House. "I've decided to stay until he came out of it. Cameron and I are going to the cafeteria to grab a sandwich; do you want us to get you anything?"

When Wilson declined, Cuddy left with Cameron.

"So just how much of a pest has Zachary been?" Cuddy asked, literally swooning over a two-day-old turkey sandwich from a vending machine that she just had to have.

Cameron rolled her eyes after picking up her Styrofoam cup of cappuccino. "Oh god, it's like retail. You do one thing wrong, you're fired."

"Yeah, I'll fix that. His family and mine always butted heads when it came to my work. He probably fought tooth and nail for that job."

"His family? Isn't that your family, too?"

"My brother Eric, yeah."

"So when you say his family butted heads with you…"

"I mean my family, yes. I'm not exactly a family favorite."

"Yes, I've noticed. I've never seen a more heartless bunch of people in my life, no offense. They acted like it was a huge inconvenience to come up for their daughter's funeral."

Cuddy nodded solemnly. "It's a wonder they came at all. They probably just came to get my things and sell my house. If we were overrun right now by media, they wouldn't be there when I got home."

In a way, Cameron did understand what she was going through. She apologized. Cuddy just shrugged it off. She was used to it. She did just about everything she could to win her parent's affection. Nothing ever worked.

"If it makes you feel any better…my parents didn't want to know me once I told them I didn't believe in god."

Cuddy chuckled weakly. "Cameron, how is that in any way related to my situation?"

"Just trying to get you to feel like you're not alone."

"I've been alone and on my own for years without parental support, nor did I get any help from my sister, Karen, or my brother, Eric. I do better alone."

"That would explain the lack of ring on your finger," Cameron joked, trying to make light of a tender subject.

When anyone would be angry, or bothered by that joke, Cuddy laughed at it. "That lack of ring on my finger makes it easy to do my job. If any Dean of Medicine in this world is married, his or her significant other is probably having an affair because they're never home long enough to be with them. I couldn't handle a relationship anyway," she added, taking another bite of the sandwich.

Cameron bit her lip before speaking. "Well…what are you going to do if you're pregnant?"

Cuddy stopped in mid chew for a second and then resumed, speaking with her mouth full. "What do you mean?"

"Having a child is like having a relationship, only you have no choice but to be at home. Are you ready for that? Especially knowing it's House's baby. He's not going to stick around, you know."

Cuddy felt a pang in her chest. Cameron saying that had an affect on her, even though she was thinking the same thing all along herself. It became a little more real when someone else was thinking that same thing.

"That's something I'm just going to have to wait to see about now won't I?" she said, feeling her heart sink. Who was she kidding when she thought that House would care for a child. He could barely take care of himself. Maybe on the island, things were different. If she had a baby with him there, he had no choice but to be okay with it. He was also starting to change. Transition was slow, but at least he was progressing. He showed that he actually cared about her. He won't do that now. Now that he's going home, things really will be different. Cuddy was kidding herself when she thought she had actually changed him.

Cuddy unwillingly welcomed the tears once it all sank in. She dropped her sandwich and let out a small sob.

Cameron grew concerned. "God, Lisa, what's wrong?" she asked, hurrying to her side in an instant.

A salty taste formed at the back of Cuddy's throat as more tears made their way to the surface.

"I'm such an idiot," she said, following a sniffle. "I know House would never take responsibility for a child. He'll never change. You're right."

Cameron reached for a napkin and gently brushed it up against Cuddy's cheek to soak up the single droplets. "No, I didn't want to be right. Lisa, you never know what affect being on that island might have done to House."

Cuddy took the napkin and wiped her own tears. "He's still going to be the same pessimistic jerk he was when he crashed into the ocean. You know what he said to me? He told me he only saved my life so he wouldn't be floating in the ocean alone. After that, it was so that if we do get rescued, he wouldn't have to go home to a different Dean of Medicine."

Cameron gently ran her fingers through Cuddy's hair. "You know he didn't mean it."

"But just how much of his sarcasm is actually the truth?" she asked, tears not letting up. "I mean…it's getting to the point where I'm actually worried that if he does start being nice and being honest, I'll be worried. But when we were in that ocean and drifting for a full day, he was different. House would never do something he wanted, stranded or not. There would be these brief periods where I was more than just a woman to him that he could flounce around with and have sex with whenever he wanted. He treated me with such warmth and care that it lead me to believe that he could actually become a different person. I'm so disillusioned, Allison. Why does he act the way he does?"

"Because that's who he is, Lisa. You know that and I know that. We've never expected anything from him. It would be stupid to start believing in him now."

Cuddy was torn between believing in him and not believing. She didn't know what to think. Maybe it would've been better if they never were rescued from that island.

------------------------

House woke up six hours later to a room full of sleeping friends. Cuddy was not one of them. House realized this after looking around the room several times through blurry vision. His neck was starting to hurt holding his head up to look around and had to lay back down. Why couldn't he see Cuddy? He was pretty sure he saw Wilson and Cameron sleeping in armchairs. Was this a dream? This had to be a dream. Were they rescued? He heard a helicopter earlier, along with some faint sounds of voices, both unfamiliar and not. But wasn't that just another hallucination?

He tried to move, but ached all over. "If this is a dream, it sucks," he murmured, following a groan from a very painful headache. It felt like someone clubbed him right upside the head.

"Cuddy?" he called out, but his voice didn't carry far at all. "God I feel like I'm going to throw up. Grab another seashell, will you? I don't feel so good." No one was coming to him, nor were Wilson and Cameron waking up. "Hey…when did we get real beds and lights? Why isn't anyone answering me?"

His head was spinning and his body temperature felt like a million degrees.

"I'm going to be sick! I'm—"

He couldn't control himself and ended up vomiting in his own mouth because he couldn't find the strength to lift himself up and lean over the side of the bed. The last thing he remembered while gagging on his own vomit were people rushing to his side, and then the lights going out.

-----------------------

"It was a reaction to his antibiotics, but he'll be fine," a doctor said, giving Wilson and Cameron the scoop on House. The two were woken up immediately when the machines started going off and the night staff rushed to his bedside.

"He…vomited into his own mouth," Wilson said, speaking with concern. "Shouldn't that be an issue?"

"Why can't he move?" Cameron asked.

"It's a rare side effect and it won't happen again. It shouldn't have happened the first time, but because Dr. House was on medication—"

"He didn't have any Vicodin in his system. He just came back from being on a deserted island for god sakes, there's no way—"

"Cameron," Wilson interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. This is normal after he has detoxed." After calming her down, he continued with House's doctor. "Will he be okay? That's all I want to know."

The doctor nodded. "He'll be fine. Tomorrow you'll all be able to go home."

That was a relief to hear. The vacation from hell was almost over.

"Where's Cuddy?" Wilson asked, noticing the missing body.

"Don't know. She was here when we fell asleep."

"You don't think she went back home, do you?"

Cameron honestly shrugged. "I don't know. If only you saw her in the cafeteria, Wilson. I've never seen her so heartbroken. I should never have fallen asleep."

"Hey…Cuddy isn't your responsibility," he said when she started beating herself up over it.

"She just came back to us from being on an island that she could have very well spent the rest of her life on. She would've been alone as of now. House would be dead from the typhoid fever."

"I don't see your point. They're here with us now and everything's fine."

"Lisa isn't fine, Wilson. She spent the entire time in the cafeteria sobbing over a cappuccino because she thinks that once House wakes up, they'll no longer have the moments they shared together on the island. Instead, he'll revert to who he used to be, which is cold and uncaring. She doesn't need that and he's brainwashed her without even knowing it. She could be pregnant with his baby and the son of a bitch is going to leave her alone with it."

Wilson's eyes widened. He held up his hands to silence her. She was flying off the deep end here. "Whoa, whoa, Cameron, relax." He had never seen her so worked up. "I didn't know you felt this way."

Cameron took a couple deep, calming breaths. "Sorry. So who's going to look for Lisa?"

"I'll go. You stay here and look after House."

Cameron was okay with that. She sat into the armchair and hunched over, throwing her hands over her face.

House had heard every word.

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**Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :)**


	25. The Unforgettable Fire

**Okay, so I think I said a few chapters ago that this would be the last chapter--it isn't. I still have a couple more coming. Not sure how many, but we'll see. Thanks to everyone who read and an extra thanks to those who reviewed! **

**Enjoy :)**

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Wilson found Cuddy after searching for a good ten minutes and asking every doctor he had passed by in the hallway if they had seen her. She was sitting on a bench, sitting back against the wall with her head lolled off to the side. It looked as if she had been sleeping. When Wilson got closer, he could see she was very much awake and staring at the wall across the hall.

"Lisa?" he said carefully, sitting on the edge of the bench. "We were worried about you. Why did you leave like that?"

Cuddy paused before speaking. She sounded like she were in a daze. "James…?"

"I'm right here," he said, taking her hand.

She continued to stare at the wall. "Am I really that pathetic?" she asked again after another pause.

"No, of course I don't. Why would you say that?"

"I'm expecting too much from House. I've never expected anything from him. Now I'm just setting myself up to get hurt."

"Lisa, you don't know if House will be any different. For all you know, the island could've changed who he is."

Cuddy shook her head. She chuckled weakly. "No. He hasn't. He never will. Even if I give that bastard a child he still won't stick around."

"Give House some credit. Before you make all these assumptions, why don't you wait and see how things turn out. If you walk in there being this pessimistic, you're going to lose him even before you have a chance to get him."

Cuddy swallowed the lump in her throat and lowered her gaze to the floor. She didn't say anything. Wilson raised his hand to gently cup her cheek. "Hey…" he whispered.

Cuddy looked up weakly, as if she physically had a hard time doing so normally.

"Don't give up. You were brave on the island and in the rescue jet coming back here. Keep it up."

"I can't handle rejection at this point, James. If he laughs in my face or turns me down, I'll lose it. I told him I loved him just the other day and he spit it back in my face. The neutral feelings I've had for House in the past twenty years are completely gone and it scares me how vulnerable I am when it comes to him, despite him being a cold hearted, selfish ass."

"You two spent every waking moment together the past few months, sunup to sundown, meals, moonlight swims, and probably told each other some very private things. You're just going through the hard feeling of separation and you know that once you get back to civilization, you'll go your separate ways and everything will be as it was before."

Cuddy nodded. "I know. I'll just have to try."

Wishing on House treating her with even an ounce of respect was something that maybe happened once in a blue moon. If that. But as Wilson said, they've been through events that would change anyone around. Maybe for once he'll see Cuddy as more than a piece of ass. Wilson only hoped. If the island didn't kill Cuddy, this will.

----------------------

"Where did you go?" Cameron asked when Cuddy came back into the room.

"I just needed a moment. How is he?"

"Still asleep." Cameron stood. "Lisa, I think you should get checked out before we go home tomorrow."

Cuddy had refused to be checked out, thinking that she felt fine. They really couldn't make her without her consent and had to leave it at that. They expressed their worry that she could have typhoid fever as well, only the parasite was still dormant. And if she was pregnant, this could be harmful on the child. Cuddy had other things on her mind other than herself and declined.

"No, I'm fine. If I feel funny, I'll let them know."

"Lisa—"

"Look, I said no, okay?"

"Oh for god sakes, stop being so stubborn."

The voice definitely belonged to House. Wilson motioned for Cameron to come to him. They left the room together so House and Cuddy could be alone. Cuddy watched them walk out, half hoping they wouldn't leave her alone with House. This was more awkward than she thought.

"What's your problem?" he asked, still sounding out of it. His voice was scratchy and rough, but his eyes made magnificent eye contact with hers. "We get rescued and you still have a death wish?"

Cuddy looked away, feeling uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly sure why. "Don't worry about me."

"Cuddy, if I'm going to humiliate myself by being stuck in a hospital bed, unable to so much as move my neck to the side, you're going to be in that bed right beside me and doing the same before you end up like me. Do you want that to happen now or back home where everyone can peek in through the glass and laugh at you?"

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him. "No one would laugh at me. And besides, what do you care what happens to me?"

House's face fell serious. "How can you say that?"

"House, you know just as well as I that once we get back home, we'll go right back to the way we used to be. The only difference is that we've slept together and you'll get to tease me about being a bad lay or something."

"I never promised you a rose garden, Cuddy," he said, voice low, but serious.

Cuddy didn't expect anything more. She felt a salty taste form at the back of her throat. Tears stung in her eyes. "I know. I'm an idiot for expecting something more. A part of me had thought that just for a second that you would come home a different person. I was wrong." Cuddy cast her eyes to the linoleum.

"Did you expect us to live happily ever after? You pegged the wrong guy for that thought, even if we spent two months together on an island."

Even though Cuddy knew he wouldn't change, disappointment still loomed over her. She hoped he would change for the better. Not only for her, but for himself as well.

"So all I was good for on that island was sex?" Cuddy had to try her hardest to get her voice not to break.

"A man still has to have his needs fulfilled, even so far away from home."

Cuddy wasn't sure if she should be angry or horrified by his retort. He did sound a bit sarcastic, but when is he not?

"There was more to it than that. You know it."

"No, you just wanted there to be more to it. Did you find out if you're pregnant yet?"

"Why? So you can plan to ditch us faster?" Malice filled her tone. She walked away from him. "You're not getting away with this, House. If I am carrying your child, you WILL be there for it."

"Oh don't be pissed off because I'm not sharing your views on dating or whatever else is going through your mind. That is only for fairy tales. This is reality."

He was absolutely right. She couldn't be angry with him because she couldn't get him to change who he is. Even in a hospital bed half way across the world from home, he's still House. No matter the location, or the event, he would never change. He would continue to speak as he has in the past, rank on her wardrobe, be defiant, rude, and inconsiderate. That's Greg House.

A tear fell from Cuddy's eye. Why couldn't she find someone decent to love? Why did her heart have to pick House of all people? She didn't share his morbid view on life, nor did she share his sarcastic sense of humor and the ability to annoy people. So why him? For years she felt an attraction to him. He drove her up the wall on a day to day basis, but yet, she loved him. Even before the island event, she still loved him. It wasn't the kind of love that made her want to rush over to him and spend the rest of her life with him. It was a safe love that she could have for a brother or a cousin. Now she was completely disillusioned. They had so many wonderful late night conversations on the island, meals by fireside, walks on the beach, and even a swim that wrapped them up in passion in the middle of it. The brotherly love she felt for him had vanished. She felt she could actually be in a relationship with him. They would be a family. But even that was too farfetched for someone like him. She should've known that. She was only setting herself up to be hurt.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"No," she said, turning her head and brushing the tear from her face. If that didn't give it away, the sniffling did.

"Yes you are. You've never been a good liar, Cuddy."

"At least not as good as you," she snapped, turning to face him.

"What does that mean?"

Cuddy was about to speak but then shook her head instead. "You know what, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all. I was a fool, I accept it, now I have to get over it." She grabbed her purse and a sweatshirt that Cameron purchased for her when they went shopping for some decent clothing.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. There's nothing keeping me here."

"Yes, there is," House said, shifting his eyes to the bed beside him. "You're going to get checked out before you leave."

"What do you care?"

"If you walk out that door and board a flight, it'll be too late. Do your toes feel tingly, the pads of your fingers numb, and slight headaches?"

Cuddy didn't think much about it at the time, but now that he mentioned it, she was experiencing those three symptoms.

"Does your back also ache? Maybe you're feeling a little fatigued?"

Now it sounded like he was just playing with her or mocking her.

"You're pregnant, Cuddy, now lay your ass in this bed and get checked out before my child ends up neurotic like you."

Before Cuddy could object, House pressed the call button to summon for a nurse. They were all quite relieved when Cuddy chose to be checked out. House trying to scare her into staying by saying it could be too late had a little to do with it. Better now than at home. The only thing Cuddy wasn't too thrilled about was being beside House the whole night. If there wasn't anything seriously wrong with her, they would both be discharged tomorrow. Since it was so late, her test results would be back in the morning. For the night, she was to be stuck beside House. Even though she wasn't thrilled about it, it did feel like a sense of home. For the past two months, despite any arguing they've had that day, she was snuggled up right beside him every single night. This would be the first night they weren't alone. She didn't want to face that. Whether House felt the same way or not, it didn't matter. Cuddy felt at ease with him by her side. Wilson and Cameron went back to the hotel to get a decent night sleep. They had left right after Cuddy was admitted and had tests run on her. It was okay for them to leave. They deserved it after all they did.

Compared to the stone hard bottom of a cave, this bed felt like heaven. Cuddy sank right into it and felt every aching bone in her body as a result of sleeping on rock solid ground immediately heal itself. She couldn't wait to get home to her own bed.

"Will you stop wiggling over there," House muttered.

"I'm not wiggling, I'm snuggling. You'd be doing the same if you could move worth a damn."

"I can move my arms, thank you very much."

"Oh, what a step up," Cuddy joked, chuckling small.

"Good to see you're still not pissed at me."

"House, I'll always be pissed at you. You'll never fail to do something that'll get me angry with you."

"So then why did you spat out that you loved me?"

Cuddy didn't speak right away. House turned his head a slight ways to look at her. She was propped up on her elbow, facing him, head down. He could see her with the little light they had shining from above the beds. "Cuddy?"

"Heat of the moment," she said. "You were dying. If I was dying, you'd say the same thing."

House did remember telling her he loved her, but she was asleep. He did that on purpose, obviously.

"Now that's not true," he said. "Go to sleep."

He heard her lay down and get comfortable again. He groaned when she wouldn't stop moving around after about thirty seconds had elapsed. He was about to open his mouth to tell her to relax when she spoke instead.

"Goodnight, House."

She then stopped moving and House mentally sighed with relief. How many times do you need to move around before you find a comfortable spot?

"G'nite," he said lazily, pretending to be tired so she wouldn't talk to him anymore.

So far it was working. He felt himself almost drift off to sleep when her voice woke him up.

"House."

He sighed noisily to show his irritation that she woke him. "What?"

"I can't sleep."

"Well what do you want me to do about it? Count sheep or something."

"Can I sleep with you?" she asked, sounding like a child pouting to her parents after she had a bad dream.

"Love the idea, Cuddy, but I'm kind of immobile right now. Unless you want to do all the work."

"Not that kind of sleep with, jerk." Cuddy took it upon herself to get out of bed and appear at House's side. She moved his arm out of the way just long enough to slide in beside him and then he wrapped it around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and immediately felt sleepy.

"You're not going to spend an hour getting comfortable are you?" he asked.

Cuddy settled right in. He felt her shake her head no on his shoulder.

He was able to move his arms now. He reached up and gently brushed his fingers through her dark curls, which felt a whole lot softer now than they were on the island. A soft moan escaped her lips. The hand that was on his chest drew in soft, lazy circles for a few seconds before stopping all together.

House almost felt himself wanting to hate Cuddy. She was so smart, funny, beautiful, and anything else positive. Why did she set her sights on him? She could get anyone she wanted. Why him? He could never be happy with him. He wouldn't change for her. He wouldn't change for anyone. She would only end up being hurt in the end, just like today. But nonetheless, here she was now, still with him, still wanting to be close. He could hurt her physically, harm her, stab her, probably remove a few limbs and still she would never leave him. She loved him with every beat of her heart and every breath she took.

And he hated it.

"I don't care how you are," Cuddy mumbled, so low that House almost didn't catch it. "I'll love you anyway."

She was asleep just seconds after that. House turned his head just far enough to kiss the top of her forehead.

"I love you, too."

If Cuddy remained awake for ten more seconds, she would've heard that.

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**Yes I know, it's bothering me as much as it's bothering everyone about getting them together! I want to stay in character, but I also want to believe that House would be affected in a good way about how close he had been with Cuddy the past couple months. They WILL end up together, I just don't know how yet. Their cuddling was a start though :) Thanks for reading!**


	26. Send Me On My Way

**Thanks for the responses for the last chapter everyone!**

**I keep wanting to mention this, but I forget. Zachary Feeney's appearance is modeled after Dr. Jamie Conway from the fourth season episode Living the Dream. For some reason, he looks like he would be related to Cuddy with the hair and the eyes. He could so pass as being House and Cuddy's kid. Maybe it's just me. Okay, on with the story.**

**Enjoy :)**

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About six hours later, House and Cuddy were awoken by the sound of a throat clearing. Cuddy's eyes fluttered open to a well-lit room, immediately aiming towards where the sound came from.

"Was your bed not sufficient enough, Dr. Cuddy?" Wilson teased, pretending to look slightly embarrassed.

"Tell me about it," House griped, shifting his legs a bit, untangling himself from her. "She took up the whole bed with that ass of hers."

"House, you're moving," Cuddy said, acting as if it were some huge shock. She completely ignored the ass comment.

"No kidding. They said I'd be able to move by morning, remember? How else was I supposed to get home?" Even with an authentic question like that he still managed to sound like a sarcastic jerk.

Moments later, Cameron appeared beside Wilson and Cuddy slid out of House's bed.

"I found Dr. Clement. He has the results for the tests."

"Who's Dr. Clement?" Wilson asked.

"He took over for nurse Holcomb last night," Cameron informed.

Cuddy suddenly felt herself become worried. What if the test was bad? What if she had typhoid fever or something worse? What if she was pregnant and that disease was threatening the baby's life and treatment would kill it? Ugh…those stupid 'what ifs.' Cuddy had to sit. She sat at the edge of her bed, wishing they could just hurry and get it over with. She was pretty positive she was pregnant, but did she have a disease that would threaten the baby's life? Her mind ran a mile a minute, but anyone looking at her wouldn't notice anything except for how worried she looked.

"Lisa, are you okay?" Cameron asked with deep concern.

Cuddy was spacing out and she didn't know it. She nodded. "Yeah. I just can't wait to get out of here."

They all agreed with her on that one.

Dr. Clement knocked on the door and walked in. Cuddy tried to study his face to see the results beforehand. Being a doctor herself, she could generally read their facial expressions very well before delivering news. With this one, she wasn't sure. He had a smile on his face, but she wasn't sure if it was a sympathetic smile or a genuine smile. She felt gravity oppose her for a moment, weighing her down with fear.

"Morning everyone, my name is Dr. Sam Clement and I have the results from the lab." He looked to House first while opening a chart and removing a pen from his lab coat breast pocket. "Dr. House, congratulations on the speedy recovery. I've never seen an illness vanish so quickly."

"Then you obviously don't know House," Cameron said, following a small laugh. "He probably scared it off."

"Yeah, yeah, can I go home now?" House asked, debating whether or not he wanted to take the IV out himself. He could care less about the news on his recovery.

"House, aren't you concerned about Cuddy?" Wilson jutted his chin to Cuddy, who was still at the edge of the bed, biting her lip in anticipation.

"Who? Oh, right, yeah, I guess. Don't go easy on her, doc. She may be a Dean of Medicine but she has the thighs of a stuffed animal."

"House!" Cuddy frowned in surprise at him. What was that supposed to mean?

Dr. Clement merely chuckled, not showing much interest. "Right. Well I have some good news and some bad news." Cuddy's head poked up when she heard about the bad news. "Congratulations, you're negative for typhoid fever and any other tropical diseases…but I'm sorry to say your pregnancy test also came back negative."

Cuddy's jaw dropped. "No, that's…that's not possible! I haven't had my period for two months!"

"You haven't been menstruating because of your diet on the island. You went into starvation mode, which caused your body to operate differently and your hormones to become a little unbalanced. Not menstruating is normal in a situation like yours."

"I'm well aware of what happens in starvation mode, doctor. I had pregnancy symptoms the last week we were there. Dizziness, morning sickness, aching…"

He sympathized with her. The look on his face showed it all. "Look at the position you were in, Dr. Cuddy. Your body can do funny things when it doesn't receive what it expects to. You've just given to me symptoms of what I could've given to you without even running tests. Those are all common symptoms of deprivation. Just lucky you were found in time. We should probably keep you here another night and administer another saline drip."

If Cuddy was feeling dizzy or ill at all, it was because of the sudden depression she was swung into. How could she have been so disenchanted? She's a doctor; she should've recognized the pregnancy symptoms from the deficiency symptoms!

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "No…no I just want to go home. I can't be here anymore."

"She's just pissy now because without a baby she can't change me."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh go to hell."

House looked shocked. "We just came from hell and now you want me to go back? No thanks, I'd rather go home and face a different kind of hell. Can someone unhook me here so we can get the show on the road?"

"Dr. Cuddy, we feel it's in your best interest if you let us run another saline drip on you," Dr. Clement said, ignoring House. Seems like all his focus was on Cuddy.

Wilson unhooked House when he noticed that Dr. Clement wasn't giving him the time of day. House noticed this also. He got out of bed with a grunt and grabbed Harry from the end table.

"Thank you for your services, my good man," he said, purposely interrupting them. "Did someone get me a cane?"

"It's by the door," Dr. Clement said, not even looking at him. He was too busy coddling Cuddy. Even though she kept saying she was fine, he found another reason, one after the other, on why she should stay another night.

"Coming, Cuddy?" House asked, fighting the urge to pop this guy where it counted.

Cuddy thanked him and stood up, taking her hand back from his when he latched onto it. He seemed to have taken a deep interest in her after she became depressed about not being pregnant.

After House and Cuddy changed out of their dressings and into clothes, they all left after thanking Dr. Clement, all glad to be going home. House and Cameron took the lead a few steps ahead. A sullen Cuddy followed behind, walking with Dr. Clement. Wilson stopped walking so she could catch up. When she did, he put her arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "I think we have it from here, thank you, doctor." Wilson wasn't being mean. They just wanted to hurry out of there.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked when Dr. Clement finally left Cuddy's side reluctantly.

Cuddy leaned into Wilson as they walked. "No. Well, you could speed up time to whenever it is I do end up having a baby."

Wilson dropped his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry. I know you had your heart set on it."

"You don't even know the half of it. James, we slept together every day, sometimes twice a day, for the past two months. If that doesn't get me pregnant, nothing will."

Wilson shook the images out of his head and shuddered a bit. "Too much information."

Cuddy laughed. It felt good to laugh. "Sorry. I'm just going to be so happy to get home and resume my life the way it should be. That is, if I still have a home to go back to. Knowing my parents, they sold off everything I own and kept the money for themselves. My nephew has my job; it's only a matter of time before I'm going to wish I was back on that island. The thought of being pregnant was the only hope keeping me sane and wanting to fight. I just don't understand it. The symptoms fit."

"If you ever need anything, Lisa, you know where to find me."

Cuddy reached over to kiss his cheek. "You're sweet. Thank you. But you've already done so much. If it weren't for you and Cameron, House would be dead right now and I would probably be joining him soon."

"My offer to help doesn't expire because of what I've done already. I care about you, Lisa. If you have to come stay with me for a few days until things clear up, you're more than welcome to."

Cuddy could argue with him for days on this and he still wouldn't change his mind. She just thanked him and let it go. She wouldn't take him up on the offer, but didn't tell him that. He's already done so much as it is. She owed her life to him. House did, too, but he'd never admit to that. Very rarely would you ever find someone in this world that would go through what Wilson and Cameron went through to get someone back, especially if you didn't know they were still alive out there. It was a severe long shot, but he went through with it anyway.

It was all worth it in the end. Seeing a smile of gratitude from Cuddy was enough of a reward for Wilson. House was grateful, too, but like hell he would ever say so. He was too busy walking several feet ahead of them, alone.

They jumped into a cab and arrived at the airport a half hour later. They took a private jet home. The service was on them for Wilson's agreement to generously contribute to their company once a month from now until the day he dies. It wasn't a signed contract or anything so he could easily take back his word, but Wilson wouldn't do that. In the end, it was the folks that took him and Cameron to the island that saved House and Cuddy's lives. He would owe them anything they wanted.

Cuddy was a bit skeptical about going back up into a plane after what happened. She never said anything about it, nor did she make a fuss about getting onto the plane. She had concerns, but kept them to herself.

"Think we're going to crash?" House asked when a quiet Cuddy sat beside him.

"Don't joke like that, House," she said, taking it seriously as she tightened her seatbelt as far as it could go.

"I'm not joking. Maybe we can crash again and pick a different island to stay on this time, only we'll have Wilson and Cameron with us. We can have one big orgy."

"House…just shut up for the next ten hours, okay? Take a nap."

Wilson and Cameron sat across from them moments later after having a few words with the captain and crew, mainly on Wilson's end, thanking them for their support and coming through successfully.

House tossed Harry from one hand to the other as everyone got situated.

"Great, let's go get the hospital back from Feeney," Wilson said, buckling up.

"Feeney?" House questioned, looking at everyone individually with a frown. No one's told him who that was yet.

"Nephew that took over the hospital," Cameron said.

House frowned at Cuddy. "I didn't know your sister had a kid."

"Brother, actually."

"You have a brother? I thought you only had one sister," House prodded, very curious.

"I have a half brother Eric, whom I don't associate with. Anything else you need to know?"

"We spent an entire two months on an island and you didn't tell me about him?"

"It was redundant."

"No it wasn't. You told me about your entire family but you didn't mention this guy? Why not? Is he a secret love child from one of your parents?"

"House, let her be," Wilson said.

"Well that's good she's not related directly to…what's his name?"

"Zachary Feeney. Does this mean that your bother's on the board?" Cameron asked, sounding concerned.

Cuddy shook her head. "No. He's just a benefactor giving the hospital large amounts of money a month. He's only doing it to spite me. I should've known Zachary would try to get his paws on my job. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he rigged the plane to go down into the Pacific."

Everyone exchanged glances.

"Was he at the funeral? Eric?"

"No," Cameron said. "Just your parents and Karen."

Cuddy chuckled weakly. "Of course they were." She slapped her hand over her forehead and kneaded the area as if she had a serious migraine.

"He's not actually going to stay the Dean of Medicine, right?" House asked, actually sounding worried.

"If he does, you're out of a job. He closed down Diagnostics and fired everyone."

"What about you? Did he fire you, too?" House asked Wilson.

"No. I quit."

"We couldn't stomach seeing the change of name on Cuddy's office door," Cameron added.

"Right, so back to this benefactor guy. Why didn't I know about him?" House asked, changing the subject quickly and ignoring the fact they told him it was none of his business.

"House, not everything is up for your review," Cuddy half snapped.

"Yeah, but someone who has that much power over your life I should know about. Wait…so when I saw your parents before…a very long time ago…one of them isn't your real parent. Who? I'm guessing it's your mom. Maybe she was a Feeney before she was a Cuddy—"

"Why does this matter so much to you?" Cuddy asked, visibly hurt and worried. "Can't you just let it be?"

"I'm curious. I need to know," he said simply, tossing Harry in the air.

"Fine. If I tell you, will you shut up about it?"

"No. But you can give it a shot. Maybe if I like what you tell me I'll shut up."

Cuddy sighed, taking her hand away from her face. Out of curiosity, Wilson and Cameron also listened in. Cuddy started after takeoff.

"He's not your half brother, is he?" House asked, smirking a bit.

"Lisa, you don't have to tell us anything. We don't need to know," Cameron said, glaring at House.

"Oh will you shut up already? If you don't want to listen, read a magazine and tune us out," House told her forcefully and looked back at Cuddy. "Start."

Cuddy took a deep breath before starting. "My father had a fling two years after Karen was born. Which is particularly funny considering he and my mom both had the same twisted sense of humor, making an affair seem nearly impossible. I don't know who the woman was and to this day I really don't care. I didn't know about Eric until the woman my dad was having an affair with called our home when I was about ten demanding that she have him pay child support."

"You understood all this at ten?" Wilson questioned.

"Yes, I did. I understood it well. Supposedly, the affair ended when my father learned out the woman was pregnant and they both agreed they would never see each other again. I guess she needed money and forced him to come out of hiding. My mom was furious. She never wanted anything to do with Eric so she, as well as my father, pretended he never existed, minus having to pay child support. After he turned eighteen, my parents cut off all ties with him and his mother. They continue to do that to this day, which is why I'm assuming they didn't mention him when they came to New Jersey for the funeral."

Cameron honestly shook her head. "No, they didn't mention him at all. Zachary either. Do they know about Zachary?"

Cuddy nodded. "Oh of course. They know Eric's on the benefactor's list at the hospital as well."

"That must be why they didn't want to come to the hospital. I had to clean out your office," Cameron said, recalling removing the awards from the wall and packing up books in boxes, trying to hold back tears.

"It still doesn't make sense, though. Wouldn't Eric have come to see us after he thought you died?" Wilson asked, wearing a frown.

"Probably not. He was too busy preparing his son to take my spot," Cuddy said dryly.

"Well that won't be happening."

"It's already happened, House," Wilson informed. "The papers are signed, everything's been settled. If Lisa didn't return in the following month, he would become permanent Dean of Medicine."

"That's just stupid," House said with a small scoff. "She couldn't help it if she was stranded on an island for two months. Cuddy, you have to fight this. Get our jobs back. Be our hero!" he cheered with a clenched fist.

If House actually sounded serious, Cuddy would take him seriously. It sounded like a joke to him. Cuddy didn't appreciate that.

"What?" House asked, meeting everyone's stare. "Just saying."

Seeing Cuddy worried made everyone else worry. If she couldn't get her job back, they didn't stand a chance either.

Wilson and Cameron exchanged identical glances. They both knew that rescuing Cuddy off the island was the easy part. Helping her get her job back if everything was already finalized was the hard part.

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**Next chapter they finally arrive home! Thanks for reading :)**


	27. Not So Home Sweet Home

**As always, thanks for the great reviews for the past chapter and continuing to stick around! You all are so wonderful ^^**

**I know some of you are disappointed about Cuddy not being pregnant, but for what I have planned for a sequel, she can't be pregnant :) However, it is definitely a possibility of a Huddy baby in the sequel. I was a little upset while writing this chapter and you'll see why, but at the end, I make up nicely for it ^^ **

**Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy wanted to go home, or what was left of it, if anything at all. She didn't even want to be anywhere near the hospital at the moment. Lord knows what her nephew was doing to her baby. From what Wilson and Cameron told her, it wasn't good. Plus, somehow she got the feeling that he would know she was home, even though she didn't go back to the hospital right away. The second they stepped off the plane and made it through the terminal, flashbulbs went off in their faces and microphones were being thrust to their mouths. Everyone wanted to hear this story. They called it a miracle, except for a certain few…

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"I don't believe it! Did you see the news?" Eric Feeney asked, storming in on his son as he sat at Cuddy's desk, writing up a budget report.

"No…What about it? I'm busy here."

Eric motioned for him to come with him to the lobby. The nurses from all floors gathered here to watch this as well. Neither of them knew House and Cuddy were alive until now. An uproar of cheers and hugs came from Cuddy's employees. Not only were they relieved to see her alive and well, but they were relieved she would be coming back to work. No one was too fond of Feeney.

"She can't do this," Feeney murmured, standing by his office doors, scowl on his face. "I'm the Dean of Medicine now. It's MY name on the door!"

"Calm down, son. She can't do anything about it now. It's too late. The courts already have the papers. Everything's finalized."

Suddenly, Zachary felt braver and stood up straight and proud. "Yes, it had been, and anyone here that plans to throw her a welcome back party, you're fired!" he shouted out into the clinic, as well as the lobby, and disappeared back into his office in a rant.

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By the time Cuddy got to her home, she was a celebrity. Everyone in the world knew about her ill-fated trip to Japan in that short amount of time. If they didn't already know about her and House when the plane went down two months ago, they damn well knew about them now. It disgusted Cuddy how people could be made famous because of a tragic story. Half those people don't even realize the hell she went through on that island and to make a gossip story about it didn't help. House, on the other hand, was loving it for some reason, starting with Wilson making them turn up the radio in the car when he heard his name being mentioned.

"I think your hot neighbor is checking me out," he said, getting out of the car as they brought Cuddy home first.

"She's a lesbian, House," Cuddy informed.

His eyes widened. "Even better."

She tossed him a look while reaching inside the car to grab a sweatshirt that was purchased for her in Hawaii. She thanked Wilson and Cameron for everything. Each of them got out of the car so she could hug them. She couldn't thank them enough, but would that gratitude change? So far, everything looked normal on the outside of her home, but what would happen once she got inside? What would she face? Her family was here. She noticed an unfamiliar car in her driveway. It had to belong to one of them.

"So what are you going to do?" House asked, placing a hand over her shoulder once Wilson and Cameron were back in the car. "Are you going to be okay?"

This was the first time they've left one another's side in months. Even a bastard like House was affected by the change, for better or worse.

Cuddy was unsure of what to think. Ever since she heard the news she wasn't pregnant, everything started to slide down for her. And it wasn't just that. She also felt what it would be like to be away from House. He drove her insane, but she knew that the second she walked into her home, she'll be wishing she was by his side again.

Her eyes met his, unsure of how to answer him. They both felt already what it would be like to be separated after all this time. Cuddy would sleep alone tonight for the first time in months.

She nodded slowly, trying not to let any tears build up in her eyes. "I just…there's so much to do that it's overwhelming. I'm…scared, especially at what I could be walking to in my own home."

House two months ago would laugh at her and tell her to get over it. House today, he felt her pain, at least to the best of his ability. He brushed the backs of his fingers gently across her cheek. He had never seen her this worried, not even when their plane went down into the ocean. And with good reason. Technically, Cuddy was unemployed and her family took over whatever else she had. She would have to go through board after board, lawyer after lawyer, just to get even a smidgen of hope in getting her job back. Cuddy was legally declared dead, so her spot had every right to go to Zachary Feeney. She may as well have been laid off with the slim chance she had at getting her job back.

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked this so easily and freely, as if they were really a couple, or at the very least she meant something to him. He was serious. There was no sarcasm or humor in his tone.

It melted Cuddy's heart. Looking into his eyes, she could see the man she was with on the island. She saw the one who held her close by the fire, told her secrets, made love to, and held her tightly before they went to bed and woke up the same way the next morning. This was the House she was looking for ever since they were rescued.

"Please. I don't think I can do this alone." If she didn't ask him vocally, her eyes would do all the talking.

He nodded and then turned around to reach back into the car to pull out a small bag of items, as well as Harry, and told Wilson he was going to stay. Wilson okayed it and left with Cameron.

"Are your parents here?" he asked.

Cuddy saw a head appear and disappear as fast as it came through the curtains in the living room window. "Yeah," she said with a sigh.

"Well who cares what happens. It's your house; you should get it back, right?"  
Cuddy didn't notice this before, but there was also a For Rent sign on her lawn. Her stomach turned. A small part of her suddenly wished she was still on the island, even if she would be by herself. It's better than coming home to this. Going to the hospital and fighting with her nephew and brother would be easier than what she was about to face.

She wasn't surprised to find the door locked after knocking several times and no one answering.

"Here," House said, producing one of her hidden keys. Luckily enough, her parents didn't have the sense to change the locks.

Cuddy opened the door and hesitated to make it past the threshold. So far, everything looked okay. Her hall table was still in the hall, the large picture remained above it, her wall paint was the same, and the carpet runner remained relaxed on the cherry oak floor. Did they plan to rent her home with her furniture still inside? They certainly would get more offers that way. It's just like her mother to suggest a thing like that.

Taking a deep breath, Cuddy pressed forward. She saw her mother peeking past the curtains, so where was she?

"No, she can't possibly—" Her father appeared at the other end of the hallway. His face displayed a sickening horror, sort of like the horror he was supposed to portray once learning his daughter could be dead, not finding out she was alive.

Cuddy didn't know what to say. She felt her limbs turn to jelly and had to slip her arm through House's to remain standing. "Hi, dad," was all she could get out. This was definitely not the normal greeting for your youngest daughter whom was declared dead. He could care less that she stood ten feet ahead of him, much alive, and the tension in the room told her that.

Her mother appeared beside him, only she wore a smile. It was definitely her "running for campaign" smile. Nothing about it was real. The further her smile grew from ear to ear, the more urgent Cuddy felt in being sick.

"Lisa! Baby, I'm so glad you're okay," she said, hurrying to Cuddy in her Jimmy Choos. Cuddy's eyes never left the shoes, even though her mother wrapped her arms around her so tightly she thought she was going to crack her in half. Cuddy had to wonder if that was her plan…

"Nice shoes," Cuddy couldn't help but say.

"Huh? Oh these! They were in the closet and I couldn't resist. I think they look good, don't you? We're getting ready to go to a party."

Before Cuddy could answer, Ellie looked to House and held out her hand, which was strikingly odd because she never shook anyone's hand unless she found herself forced to. "Hi, I'm Ellie Cuddy. You must be Greg House."

"I want my shoes back," Cuddy demanded to her mother before House could react in any way. "And my house."

Ellie looked positively shocked. Her focus was fully on her daughter now. "Excuse me? Don't you use that tone with me. This is our place now. It's in our name."

"Because you put it in your name with the fancy lawyers you hired with my money!" Cuddy cried, assuming that's what happened. "I never left you this house. I never left you people anything!"

"You people?" Ellie was insulted by that remark. She put her fists to her hips.

"Just who do you think you're talking to, young lady?" Walter asked, stepping forth with a vengeance.

"Since you've never treated me with respect, do you think you deserve any?" Cuddy snapped. "The first thing you guys did when you found out I was dead was flock to my home and sell off my expensive valuables! Followed by a trip to the bank to swipe my savings!"

"What is all the yelling going on out—" Cuddy's sister Karen appeared in the doorway and deadpanned, as if she had seen a ghost, not her oldest sister coming home from supposedly being dead. She looked almost identical to Cuddy only she was four years older and her hair was a thicker mass of curly with a red hue in the sunlight. Her eyes were a much colder, more grey than Cuddy's, mixed in with a little bit of brown towards the pupil. She was also a bit taller.

"What is she doing here?"

"Damned if I know," Ellie said, folding her arms with a scoff.

House thought he had seen it all. He knew his father was a jerk who did horrible things to him, but this was over the line. It's one thing to be cynical and rude, but to do so to your own daughter? They treated Cuddy as if she was the dirt at the bottom of their shoes. It was a wonder that she got where she was in life with no support from family. And the sad part is that they treated their daughter like shit in front of a total stranger.

"Oh, Lisa," her dad piped up from the spot by the door he never moved from. "When you get a chance, can you move your car out of the garage? We couldn't find your keys to get rid of it and you came back before we could call a locksmith."

Cuddy's face lit up with horror. When her mouth dropped to speak, House interrupted her. "Her car is staying right where it is. And so is she." He looked at each of her family members individually. "You all are trespassing."

"Actually, Dr. House, if you both don't leave this moment, we're going to call the police and have you escorted off our property," Ellie countered. "Lisa's dead. Or at least she was when her will was read off to us, stating we owned everything."

"My will is on record and you are nowhere on it! It certainly didn't give you permission to clean out my savings or sell my things either!"

"Lisa," Walter said, clearing his throat and moving forward. "We will let you rent the place from us if you need a place to stay."

House cut Cuddy off with his hand, stopping her just as she was about to yell something back. She never asked for his help, or hinted for it in any way, but he couldn't stomach this anymore. He needed to jump in officially.

"I think I've seen enough here. Growing up, my father did some crazy shit to me and my mother had no idea. Not that I needed a shoulder to cry on, but she was there if I needed her. Want to know why? Because she loves me. I don't use that word a lot, but she does. Where the hell do you both get off treating Lisa like this? Tell me it's not because she became a doctor instead of marrying one." House remembered this conversation from when they were on the island.

"Young man, you have no idea what you're talking about, nor do you have an inkling of anything that goes on in our lives," Ellie said, angry that House was throwing in his two-sense instead of seeing the truth behind it.

"I didn't have to know anything about anything. Just walking through those doors today and hearing your attitudes towards your daughter gave me all the answers I needed. You're all pissed off she became a successful doctor and not whatever the hell else you wanted her to become."

"You're not exactly a gold figure yourself, Dr. House," Walter said in somewhat of a warning tone. "You should leave now while you still have one good leg to help you do so."

Now they were threatening _him_? Do they have any limits?

"Well then, from one bastard to the other Mr. Cuddy, get the fuck out of Lisa's home and don't ever come back if you wish to keep both of _your_ legs in tact."

"Call the attorney," Ellie said, keeping a fiery glare on House. "I want these people out of my house this second."

Walter disappeared back into the house to do so without question. Karen leaned against the doorway with her arms folded and a smug look on her face. Cuddy glanced over just in time to see the light from the windows bounce off a precious ring that her sister was wearing on her index finger. She recognized it right away. It was her Le Vian 18k gold ruby and diamond ring that went for about four grand. She also had on the matching bracelet. It wasn't so much the value that made Cuddy feel the urge to fight her for them, it was the sentimental value. They were given to her by her dead grandmother years ago.

"What? Like my ring?" Karen asked. "It probably doesn't fit you anymore anyway."

"Karen, don't you think you've done enough?" Cuddy was severely pained. She knew they were going to take her jewelry and everything else, she just didn't think it would hurt this much. "At least give me back the ring grandma gave me before she died."

Karen stood there, unmoving. "Finder's keepers."

"It was originally meant for her anyway. Lord knows why Anna liked you more," Ellie said before disappearing into the house to find her husband.

"I don't believe this," House said. "I don't believe this at all. What the hell is wrong with you people?"

He had no idea Cuddy had a family like this. When she talked about them on the island, she really used an understatement. In all of his years of being a doctor and having to see families of patients, never did he run across something even remotely near this. Friends parents, friends of friends parents, nothing. Everyone had their edge, but this was way over.

"Come on, Cuddy, we'll go back to my place so we can sort this out."

While in Hawaii, House made a call to confirm to see if he still had a home to go back to. His mother, being the optimist as she is, bless her soul, kept his place. She wasn't staying in it, however. A week after the funeral, she had went home to Lexington with John. She couldn't bear to sell it. It would mean her having to accept her only son was dead. She wasn't ready to do that yet. And it was a good thing she didn't.

"I'm not leaving," she said, shocked he even mentioned it. "This is my house and I have a right to stay here."

She breezed by Karen and disappeared down the hall, as if hot on the trails of someone. Karen left in the direction their mother went to tell her what Cuddy did. House followed Cuddy, who slipped into her bedroom. She nearly collapsed at what she saw. Her clothes were strewn everywhere, probably thanks to Karen. Her closet doors were open and everything was either falling off the hangers or on the floor. Her shoes were also in disarray. The jewelry box was open and as she saw when she appeared over there, all her good jewelry was gone. She felt like she was robbed. She would much rather have been robbed to know that her own family was capable of doing such horrible things.

"Lisa…" House said in a whisper as she stared at her opened jewelry box as if it somehow had all the answers she needed to know.

A tear slipped down her cheek. "God, I'm so screwed."

"No you're not." He turned her to face him and grasped her upper arms. He forced her to look into his eyes. "Listen to me, this is your house. You have every right to come back here. The courts can petition to turn over the death ruling and after that, we will find your original documents that prove your parents have no affiliation with your things. Why am I being the optimistic one all of a sudden? You're stronger than this and you know it."

"Then why do I feel like I'm about to fall flat on my face? For the first time in my life, I have nothing. I have no home, no job, no—"

"You have me." House said this with all the sincerity in the world.

Their eyes sealed together. She never expected that to come out of his mouth.

He slipped an arm behind her back and held her to him. "And I'm not going anywhere."

He cupped her cheek with his free hand, brushing her tear away with his thumb. "Oh, House…" For this, she was grateful. She leaned into his comforting touch. This meant more to her than getting back everything she lost.

He lifted her chin with a crooked thumb and gently kissed her as two more tears evenly flowed down from her eyes.

"I love you," he whispered.


	28. Alone

**Before we start, thanks for the feedback! I can't believe that this story's received over 1000 reviews and for that, I am completely amazed and have you all to thank for that!! **

**Two, I've been living up life in Houston for the past few days (originally from MA where there isn't anything to do at ALL), which is why there hasn't been any updates. But due to an extensive hangover from last night and not wanting to go out tonight, I've finished this chapter instead :)**

**Three, only one person had an issue with this, but I'll put it here anyway, just in case anyone else is curious. In an event like House and Cuddy's, a tragic plane crash in the middle of the ocean, a person can be legally defined as dead once search and rescue has been called off** **and no bodies have been found. Not seven years, as it would take a missing person to be declared legally dead.**

**Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy wasn't sure she heard him correctly. She pulled her head back just far enough to look into his eyes. "What?" she asked, thinking her ears were playing tricks on her. Gregory House would never admit to loving her, unless he was excessively stoned or drunk. And it definitely wouldn't be with this much sincerity.

There was no smirk on his face, no smile, nothing to indicate he was joshing her. His hand remained on her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing slowly across the soft surface of her chin.

"I love you. I won't let you go at this alone."

Just then, Walter burst through the door, interrupting their moment. "I've just called the cops and they'll be here any minute!"

"Good! We'll be sure to show them the original documents when they get here," House said, owning up to his promise to keep Cuddy safe and protected.

"House—"

"Where are they, Cuddy?" House asked, looking back at her.

"They _were_ in her safety deposit box," her mother informed. "But now they're with our lawyer, along with the deed to the house and the title for the blue beamer that's now in Karen's name."

House sighed, long and hard. This was going too far and it needed to be stopped. "Mr. and Mrs. Cuddy, I know who your attorney is, and I know what he's doing is overstepping his power and infringing code."

Both their mouths dropped to the floor, as if they were both deer's caught in the headlights. Ellie wanted to say something but ended up faltering instead.

"How could you possibly know who our attorney is?" Walter's voice boomed.

"You don't know anything!" Ellie followed once she found her voice.

"His name is Sam, and he's a lawyer out of Texas. That's his wife standing behind you," he said, jutting his chin to Karen. "He's able to practice law in Texas, Washington, and New Jersey. What a coincidence."

"You don't know anything!" Ellie repeated in a state of shock.

"He knows everything about this family," Cuddy said, standing beside him. "In case you forgot, we spent the last two months together—every single moment from sunup to sundown. We had time to talk about a lot of things."

"And if you figured I didn't know anything, Mrs. Cuddy, you'd stop shouting that I didn't know anything. I'm no lawyer, but I do know that what's going on here is forgery and perjury. You figured you could get away with it because Lisa would never be found. She would never return here to testify against it as you filled in the blanks. You could forge documents and no one would know except for her and the attorney, who would in turn, sign the document and declare it valid. It's easy for the lawyer husband to do, isn't it, Karen? I bet this was your idea all along, wasn't it?"

"Those papers are legit!" Walter shouted, putting his foot down. His face grew beet red. "We didn't have to hire our son in law to forge anything! I suggest you get the hell out of here, Dr. House, before I throw you out." His voice sank low and dangerous. Beads of sweat grazed his forehead. House also noticed some nervous tension in the room now that he spilt out an assumption about their son in law.

"You're shaking an awful lot for someone who's telling the truth, Mr. Cuddy," House pointed out. "I suggest that you're the ones who leave. Or when the cops get here, along with Sam the legal representative, I'll have to point out the cold hard facts and tell them to look a little closer at the "new" will." House stepped forward slowly. "It'll sound so juicy that they'll want to sink their teeth right into it."

The Cuddy's and Karen stood their ground, at least for now. If they left and gave up, it would mean this whole thing was fraudulent. Either that or they knew it was a lie and were afraid to move. House smiled small. He finally found the kink in the chain. Now all he had to do was unknot it.

"I should also tell you that I know which officer they're sending over. We're old friends. We bonded over all the speeding tickets and Vicodin issues I had when I was in jail." Now he was being sarcastic. He figured he'd throw that in as well to daunt them, even though he had no idea who was coming.

"Alright fine, we're leaving, but don't think we won't fight you on this!" Walter said, harshly pointing to his daughter. "You signed your house over to us, as well as these personal belongings. I expect a check when we return if you plan to rent this house!"

Each of them passed both Cuddy and House a horrible look before storming off.

"Oh, hey, mom," Cuddy said, stepping out of her room.

Ellie looked back, furrowing her brow at her daughter.

"I want my shoes back."

Cuddy won and she knew it. She couldn't help but keep a smile on her face.

Ellie slipped out of the Franco Suede Jimmy Choos and kicked them her way without a word, but with so much body language that Cuddy knew she was angry. The door slammed hard when they left. It sounded like the whole house was falling down. Cuddy didn't care. They were gone, at least for now, and that's all that mattered.

"How many times now have I saved your life?" House asked, snaking his arm around Cuddy's lower back.

"I lost count," she said with a smile and reached her arms up around the back of his neck. "Thank you, House. I owe you."

"Nah. It was nothing."

"But how did you know?"

"Know what?" he asked, walking with her down the hall, arm still wrapped around her. She mimicked the position and rested her head against his shoulder.

"About Sam. I've never told you about him on the island. How did you know he was an attorney from Texas?"

House twisted his lips in thought. "I figured you'd be asking me that."

Cuddy's mouth dropped. "Did you snoop around in my private life?"

"Of course not!" he said, feigning shock. "That would be illegal."

"Then how did you…"

"I had someone else do it."

Cuddy scoffed and shook her head. "I'm not surprised."

"Hey, thanks to my nosiness and curiosity, I was able to save you. Like it or love it."

Cuddy turned to face him with a smile. He placed both hands at her waist and drew her to him.

"You don't give me many choices there," she said, unable to get rid of her smile as she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Sorry, I don't give many choices to begin with."

Cuddy drew her head closer to his. "I think I can handle that," she whispered before meeting her lips with his. It was only meant to be soft and sweet, just as the last one. House wanted to give her more, but with the events surrounding them, now wasn't the time. Cuddy was aware of this also and stopped at the small kiss of gratitude.

"So what do we do now? Should we go to the hospital?"

House groaned inwardly. "You really do know how to kill a moment."

Cuddy apologized and took her arms back. Considering how all things were, it's a wonder she still continued to wear a smile. House wasn't sure if that was because of him, or if it was because of how strong she is. He had to wonder if she was this strong because of her family speaking down to her throughout her entire life once they discovered she was leading her own existence in the world, choosing not to be manipulated by her parents. Even on the island, Cuddy was strong. She had her moments. They both did. It wasn't a situation where a smile should be worn and at times. Cuddy did want to give up. But they were together, just like they are now. When you have someone you love at your side, the pressures are immediately lifted off your shoulders, even though they still exist. If he wasn't there to help her, her parents would've overrun her and she wouldn't be here right now. Her parents would be laughing all the way to the bank. House wasn't going to let that happen. Even if he didn't feel the way he does about Cuddy, he still wouldn't let them get away with it. He's a jerk, but he knows when something's not right. Her parents officially topped the worst he's ever seen. His father doesn't even hold a candle to them. And he was pretty bad.

"Do we have to worry about your parents going to the hospital?" House asked, walking into the kitchen with Cuddy.

"No. That's the last place they would go. My brother isn't exactly a family favorite," she said, opening her fridge. "Well, at least they kept my fridge well stocked." She pulled out a bottle of water and also tossed one to House.

"I have a feeling the next time we see them, it'll be behind bars."

Cuddy sat at the kitchen table. "What makes you so sure?"

House sat across from her. "Why do you think the cops haven't arrived here yet?"

Cuddy's eyebrows raised.

"Because he never called them. Your father tried to scare us into leaving. They're not coming because he's wrong. I bet right now they're having Sam cover up his tracks. This place will be yours before you know it."

Cuddy's smile returned.

"I'll even bet that Zachary Feeney is pacing the floor, unable to decide what to do with himself."

Her smile disappeared.

"What?" House asked.

"We could easily catch my parents with forgery, but Zachary legally has my job. He went through the proper channels and has every right to be there."

"Except for one fact—you're not dead!" he said a bit on the sarcastic side, capping his water. "I'd say that's a pretty big reason for him to give it up."

Cuddy sighed and lowered her head. It wasn't going to be that easy.

"Don't worry about it today, Cuddy. You just got home. Give yourself time to settle in before making any changes. No one expects you to get everything done in one day. Wilson already said he was going to help us take care of a few things."

Cuddy shook her head. "Wilson's done so much as it is. Him and Cameron. I owe it to them to get my job back so I can set things right and get theirs back as well."

House didn't say anything. For once, he didn't know what to say. Wilson and Cameron did a very brave and risky thing going out of their way like they did to search for something that would most likely turn up negative. House knew for a fact he would never think of something that clever. If he did think it, he would never act it out. He wasn't sure what motivated Wilson to do something like this. He may never know. But because of him, he was able to sit in Cuddy's kitchen today, attempting to regain his life back. So far, he was all set except for being unemployed. He had no big worries. He was sure his money was still where he left it, resting safely in an untouched bank account and his apartment was vacant and available without the presence of family members wanting to take it over.

Cuddy has taken care of him long enough. It was now time for him to take care of her. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped quickly when the front door was knocked on. Who could that be? Did Walter really call the cops? Cuddy was wondering the same thing. She grew worried suddenly.

"I'll get it," he said, but Cuddy stood up as well and went to the door with him.

Another knock came just before House could reach the doorknob. What if it was the cops? What would he do? How would he prove this was Cuddy's place if Cuddy didn't have any of her original documents? He could easily say it was a big misunderstanding. Since Cuddy's parents left already, he could just merely apologize to them and send them on their way.

However, it wasn't the cops he opened the door to; it was a huge handful of Cuddy's employees from PPTH and each of them had a wide smile on their glowing faces.

"Surprise!!" they all shouted and poured through the doorway.

Each of them held a gift and Nurse Brenda held the cake, as well as a small light blue gift bag that dangled from a crooked finger by the roped handle. One after the other, the twenty or so people came in, hugged House and Cuddy, and disappeared into the living room to find a place for their gifts.

Foreman was there, Chase, Cameron, and Wilson of course, who was near the back of the line.

"You did this, didn't you?" Cuddy accused with a smile.

"Not this time," he said, returning the smile. "This was all their idea."

Cuddy was definitely surprised. It was going to feel good getting away from the real world for a little while.

A few of them brought snacks, which were set up on the kitchen table after the gifts were settled in. Cuddy usually didn't gravitate towards sweets and chips or soda, but today, it was a must. She grabbed a handful of pretzels and chips and mused to herself how they should've brought bigger paper plates with them.

"Save some for the rest of us," House joked, performing the same action, but since his hands were bigger, he was able to get more.

"Meaning you, right?"

"Yep."

House wasn't sure who brought the beer, but he made a note to thank whoever it was that did. He grabbed an already chilled can and left the kitchen. He didn't mingle. He wouldn't change that much for anyone. Most likely, he would find Wilson and talk alone in a corner somewhere.

A couple of them also brought a dinner item with them, thinking Cuddy didn't have food in the house. Groceries were also lined up on her countertop, both refrigerated items and non. She had such a wonderful staff. She had no idea they would go out of their way to do this for her. Some of these people she barely knew.

"How you holding up?" Foreman asked, coming into the kitchen right after House left to grab some of the lasagna on the table.

Foreman, as well as the others, didn't know about what happened with her family. At most, they knew about Feeney.

"Okay, I guess. There's a lot of work that needs to be done."

"Take your time," he said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "And if there's anything you need, let me know."

Cuddy thanked him. They both returned to the living room where everyone was laughing and having a great time all scattered around Cuddy's living room. Some stood, some sat leisurely, and some huddled in their own groups, tittering about something.

When Cuddy sat down on the couch, she suddenly became the center of attention. Everyone turned to face her. Nonetheless, it didn't bother her. She sat back into the couch with her glass of wine and crossed her legs, speaking to whoever spoke to her. It was good to laugh again.

"So tell us about your adventure," one of her young clinic nurses said from the other side of the room. A handful of people chuckled. A part of all of them were dying to know what happened to them on the island.

"How about we open the presents first," House suggested and rose up from the loveseat at the corner of the room.

Now everyone laughed. House was still House. He was looking around clueless, wondering why everyone was laughing.

"House," Cuddy said in her warning voice that she used plenty when she was at work. "Sit down."

He did so, which caused stares of surprise from a few people.

"You have him trained well," one of them remarked.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy."

For the next hour after talking about Feeney and how much of a terror his reign over the hospital was, Cuddy crammed in the events of the past couple months and some odd weeks. She did most of the talking. House filled in the blanks, if any. She spent minutes alone on the turbulence crash, reliving the experience for everyone. They got into it and listened intently, especially when Cuddy went into detail. No one left the room. She remembered all this like it was yesterday and in about forty years or so, she'll still remember it all. She mentioned them having to eat bananas all the time, sometimes coconuts, and the crabs, which were great. They had to bathe in a sectioned off streambed, cook their food by a fire, sleep on a rock, and deal with odd weather patterns with incredible winds that pushed them off their feet.

It was hard to imagine that just three days ago they were there, expecting to be there for the rest of their lives. House was already dying, so Cuddy would be alone right now, probably trying to find shelter as far away from House and the cave as possible, just waiting to get some disease and die herself. She didn't say that though. She didn't talk about the sex either. Only once was it brought up as a joke by Foreman, but as soon as Cuddy shot it down with a serious tone. Perhaps she was too serious. She was sure everyone there knew there was sex. House especially couldn't go that long without sex. He must've coerced her into doing it at least once, and when that one time worked, he would continue to nag at her until he got more. That was Greg House.

Wilson talked a bit as well about what he's experienced. Basically in the end, it call came down to everyone saying it was a miracle. After that, everyone had dinner, cake, and House and Cuddy opened gifts, much to House's delight. The men brought something for House, and the women brought something for Cuddy. It was basically essentials rather than material items. Shampoos, conditioners, bath salts, body washes, lots of makeup and facial care items for Cuddy. Somehow, they all knew the exact brand she liked in all of these products. This certainly saved her a trip from going to the store any time soon. The only item there that was materialistic was a brand new Blackberry cell phone that she and House got since their old cell phones ended up going down with the plane. It just needed to be activated. Her eyes grew misty. She hugged everyone individually, thanking them for everything.

"Oh, and there's one more," an ER employee of hers said, handing Cuddy a medium sized bag. "It's more of a joke, but hell, we all need them. Us women anyway."

Everyone laughed, as if they all knew what was in the bag. Cuddy figured she could use a joke and reached inside. She pulled out a familiar blue box with white and green print. She was holding a box of tampons and everyone found it hilarious, even the men, but Cuddy's cheerful expression vanished in that instant as she held that box, almost like she was Carrie in the locker room who had just discovered she got her period and was teased by her classmates. All color drained from her face. Her hands got shaky to the point where she dropped the box and the bag onto the ground. She felt sick to her stomach. She turned her head and hid her face just as the tears started coming.

"Dr. Cuddy, what is it?" someone asked and reached their hand out to her.

Cuddy excused herself and ran off, disappearing around the corner.

Only House, Wilson, and Cameron knew why she reacted that way. If the others knew, they didn't say anything. They all exchanged glances of confusion.

"I think we should go," Wilson said, voice sounding pained.

"Yeah," House agreed in a matching tone.

Wilson rounded everyone up and told them it would be better if they gave Cuddy some time to settle in. They agreed and left, one by one. Wilson was the last to leave. He scooped House up into a hug.

"You going to be okay?" he asked, separating.

"I'll try."

"Lisa needs you more than ever now. Don't mess it up."

"Yes, _dad_."

"Seriously, House. If she ran like that because of it hitting her she's not pregnant—"

"Really, I know. I know Cuddy like the back of my hand now."

"Doesn't mean you know what to do in a situation like this. She's very vulnerable right now."

"I know exactly what to do. You can go now."

Wilson said he would be by tomorrow to check on them. After he left, House carefully made his way to Cuddy's room. He could hear her crying. The door wasn't shut all the way. He poked his head in and saw her laying on her bed, curled up in a fetal position.

He wasn't so sure he wanted to disturb her. This was about the baby. Cuddy was in tears because the tampons reminded her that she wasn't pregnant. She tried so hard to push that to the back of her mind and it coming to her suddenly made her react this way. House was aware of that.

"Cuddy…"

Cuddy looked towards the door, but only for a second and laid her head down again. It was just long enough for him to see her puffy, watery eyes. "Not now, House."

He didn't listen and laid down beside her in bed, placing his hand on her back that moved along with her quiet sobbing.

"I know I was pregnant," she said, remaining in a ball, facing away from him. "On the island I was. I know the difference between being sick and being pregnant."

"Your body was changing because of the lack of nutrition. It got confused," House reminded, resting his hand on her hip and rubbing the area gently. "If you miscarried, you would've known."

"According to Dr. What's-his-face, I was never pregnant in the first place."

"You can always try again."

Cuddy chuckled unhumorously. "Like that will work."

"You never know."

She turned only her head around towards him. "House, we slept together dozens of times all times of the month. If I didn't get pregnant then, there's a message that it's impossible for me to get pregnant at all. God, I shouldn't even be thinking about this. I have so many other things to worry about. I wish we were never rescued. I would never have come home if I knew I would have to face this."

A louder sob ejected from her throat that time. House put his arm around her, almost spooning her completely. It pained him to see her so far gone. It wasn't like her. But she had a lot on her plate all at once. It was enough to bring anyone down, even someone as strong as Cuddy.

He pushed her hair out of the way and kissed her bare neck. "Don't say that," he whispered, holding her close. "Don't give up. You never give up."

"I feel so weak. Not just in body, but emotionally. I ran away from my staff crying like a baby and all they did was try to get me to laugh. I can't even get a surprise party thrown for me without screwing it up."

"I'm sure they understand. You didn't screw anything up."

"I just…Practically my whole life, I've been alone. And I've been okay with that. But I don't want to be alone anymore…and now I…I just feel so alone."

House knew she didn't specifically mean alone spiritually. She wanted a family and the thought of being pregnant meant more to her than anyone could realize.

Cuddy faced his direction and wrapped her arm around him to hold him close. She rested her head up against his chest.

"Please don't leave me."

House inhaled the fragrance of her curls, as well as her skin.

It was the aroma of love.

It was the scent of home.

He wasn't going anywhere.


	29. Old Habits Don't Die Hard

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews! They are all exceptionally wonderful and keep me motivated! :)**

**Sorry for the lack of update, for I have started a new job and had no choice but to focus on that. Tonight was my first day off in a week! Wow. Nothing like coming home from vacation and going right to work! But anyway, here's a sort of longer chapter than the last. **

**Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy awoke first the next morning. She guessed she fell asleep while attached to House, because she woke up in the same position. Her arm was around him and it hurt from being like that all night. Slowly, she took her arm back so she wouldn't disturb him. She got out of bed without waking him and went out to the living room to fetch some of the hair care products and body washes she received as gifts last night. Someone, not sure who at the moment, got her a razor and shaving cream also. She needed a shower. All the crying last night made her face stiff. When she got into the bathroom, there were dozens of noticeable dry trail marks made from the tears that drew the length of her cheeks.

She hurried up with the shower, did what she needed to do, and stepped out. The entire time in the shower, she thought about House. Why all of a sudden was he being this great guy? She had never seen him like this. It's almost like he cared. That wasn't House at all.

Could he really love her as he said he did? Cuddy was almost frustrated at that. She gripped the sides of her sink a little tighter than necessary and closed her eyes with a sigh. Just what was going through his mind? Was he playing with her? Was he pitying her? He couldn't love her. Not House. He's not capable of love. At least not since Stacy. Cuddy cussed when she felt tears well up in her eyes. She blinked them back before they had a chance to fall. She wanted House to love her. She wasn't sure how deep she wanted him to love her, but she did. She knew she loved him, even though he was a manipulative bastard who acted fifteen more than his own age. There's no way he was mature enough.

But Cuddy wasn't after perfection. She understood that in a relationship with House, things wouldn't be the same as they would be if it was a different couple. He would still be a sarcastic jerk that she wanted to slap around on a daily basis. But she would be happy. She didn't need to have brought flowers home to her every night or to be spoiled with material possessions. She just wanted to cuddle on occasions and be loved. And she wanted that from House. As confusing and messed up as that would seem, she did.

She was in love with him, even though he could revert right back to being a jerk at any given second.

Cuddy couldn't stop the tears. They came anyway. Being in love with House only set her up to have her heart broken. He could never commit to her. Either he didn't want to, or he couldn't. Whichever way, it wasn't going to turn out good.

Cuddy hung her head and cried softly, tears falling into the sink. She really shouldn't be thinking about this right now. She had so many other things to worry bout. Way too many. This is just an added on stressor.

She turned the water on cold and splashed her face. After, she wiped her face and then went into her bag to pull out a brush that she brought back from Hawaii. Instead, she pulled out the spider conch shell that House had given her on the island. She smiled at the memory. He even wrapped it up in leaves like a gift. She held it close to her, suddenly wishing that she was on the island again with him. She loved being there with just him, alone, in the cave by the fire, snuggled together and talking about anything. It's like the real world wasn't there with them. No one else existed but them. All their problems vanished into thin air. They only saw each other.

She set the spider conch shell down in her bag and stepped back into the bedroom. House was still sleeping. He was facing the other direction on his side and snoring lightly. It was only seven in the morning and too early to be up. Besides, this is the first time House was in a half way decent bed. He needed to sleep. Cuddy watched him for a moment or two more and snuck back into bed to be with him for a little while longer. She spooned him from behind, snaking her arm around his chest and holding him to her. She rested her head up against his back and suddenly felt sleepy. She heard him breathing, as well as felt his upper back move along with it. It was the most comforting feeling to her. He was so warm and at peace.

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she opened her eyes again and saw House sitting at the edge of the bed, rubbing his thigh and wincing in pain.

"House." Cuddy shot straight up. "Since when did your leg start to hurt again?" she asked, expressing heavy concern.

"Since now. Woke me right up."

Cuddy's heart sank to see him in such pain. He was doing so good.

"Does this mean you're going to be back on Vicodin?"

"If that's what it takes for the pain to go away, yes," he half snapped, not meaning to. "And I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking."

"Maybe it's just the way you were laying on it," she suggested.

"I wasn't laying on it," he harshly spat.

"House, there's no reason for you to snap at me. I'm only trying to help."

"Yeah well you're not."

Yes, this is how it was going to be. There was no fairytale endings in this world. At least not in the lives of Lisa Cuddy and Greg House. However, she wasn't going to stop trying to help him. She got closer to him and rested her hand on his shoulder carefully. She just wanted to be near him.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"You can stop trying to help me, for one," he said, cringing in pain afterwards.

"House—"

"Cuddy, just leave me alone!" he yelled, surprising even himself with his tone.

Cuddy knew that was the pain talking and didn't find herself too surprised, nor did she recoil away from him. Her hand remained on his shoulder, which he promptly shook off after that.

"I don't want or need your help," he followed and stood up slowly, grabbing his cane. "I'm going home."

Cuddy felt the severity of this weigh her down. Not that it should surprise her. House didn't want help. He was in pain. The only thing he wanted right now was for the pain to go away.

She remembered the last time she tried to help him. Well, one of the times. She ended up with a long wound down her side when she came in contact with a tree. He would always yell at her when she wanted to help. She doubted he would shove her against a tree or do anything else violent if she continued to be persistent.

So she would continue to be persistent.

"You're not leaving, House."

She was easily able to stay on top of him due to the fact he was unable to walk quickly. House's body temperature and blood pressure rose when he felt her hands on him and the pity roar into swing.

"Let go of me," he said, trying to keep his angered tone to a minimal.

Cuddy knew it was because of the pain he was acting this way. He didn't want to bother her with it. He could never take pity very well. He hated it when someone felt sorry for him. There's nothing else in this world that bothered him more than that. Knowing it was Cuddy's heart that was swelling at the moment, he wanted to be as far away as possible.

This is just what Cuddy feared this morning in the shower. There were no happy endings in this relationship. If she couldn't get House to open up and accept help, there was no hope for them.

"Don't be this way, House. Please let me help you."

The more sorrowful her voice was, the angrier he got. He loved her, but as much as he loved her, he hated it when she wasted her time feeling sorry for him. He didn't want her to feel sorry for him.

His leg was throbbing. He wanted nothing more than to be in the privacy of his own home so he could deal with alone, pushing out all the good memories and events he had with Cuddy. Last night, he said he wouldn't give up, nor would he ever leave her. That's exactly what he was doing right now. He was walking out on her, as well as giving up, and he couldn't see that. His pain always overrode his logical way of thinking.

"I can't be what you want. You don't need this disappointment."

Tears welled up in Cuddy's eyes. She had a feeling he would say that. He was giving up. Whether he did this in the heat of the moment with his leg hurting, or if it was on his mind the entire time and it just decided to come out now.

"I'm not disappointed. I love you, House," she said, tear falling from her eye. "Let me help you."

Cuddy was practically begging. She feared that he would walk out of here and do something stupid, starting with ODing on hidden stashes of Vicodin once he got back to his apartment.

"I'm going home." He moved forward, escaping her touch. If she kept her hands on him any longer, he would implode.

"How?" Cuddy challenged.

"Wilson, how else?"

Cuddy sighed noisily. She was selfish to keep him here if he didn't want to be. "Fine, House, if you want to go home, I'll take you. Just let me change first."

House wanted to counter with something sarcastic, like her having no visible license to drive, or keys to drive the car with, but his pain kept his comments to himself.

"I'll call Wilson," he muttered and limped painfully out of the bedroom.

If that's what he wanted to do, she had no say in the matter. He was back to his old self again and it was all because of his leg. It was incredible how something like that could change his entire view on things overnight.

Cuddy sat at the end of her bed and threw her face into her hands. She had high hopes for House. Perhaps they were too high if she had this much disappointment running through her.

This was also a bit about her as well. She hasn't been alone at all since the night before the ill-fated trip to Japan. She had seen more of House in the two and a half months they were together on the island than she had in the past twenty years combined. She couldn't handle being alone now, even though she had been more than half her life. But it was selfish to put her needs before his and had to put it out of her mind. If he wanted to go, he should be able to go.

Cuddy left the room and sat House in the living room picking up the gifts he got last night. She stood in the doorway. He glanced to her, but said nothing.

"Did you call Wilson?" she asked.

"Yes," he snapped, shoving the smaller items into a bigger bag.

If he did, Cuddy would've heard him make the call from her room. She didn't hear anything except for him limping into the living room.

"House, just let me take you home. I have a spare set of keys in my top bureau drawer."

Things were awkward now. Very awkward. She felt like she was talking to a stranger. This was House. It's been House for years. She grew accustomed to the House that said he loved her and built up hope around that. She was an idiot for doing so.

But there was more to it than that. He was upset with everything that was going on and using his leg pain as an excuse to feel angry and distance himself. He was always in pain, but didn't feel angry like this. House was good at managing pain, but bad with managing the difficulties in life. He was willing to walk away from the one he loves just because he didn't know how to cope. Cuddy realized this. She should've realized it sooner.

"You're scared, House," she said after a long pause and a no answer to her driving him home. He collected his things, acting like she wasn't there.

He chuckled, but no humor came from it. "Scared of what?"

"I don't know, but it's making you want to run away. I know you're feeling stressed and helpless—"

"You think you know me all too well, don't you?!" he yelled after throwing a bottle of something against the wall, smashing it into smithereens and causing an abruptly ended sentence from Cuddy. "You think that just because we spent so much time together, you have the right to tell me how I feel!"

Cuddy's mouth fell open in surprise. "That's not true!" she said back, tone almost matching his.

"Then why the hell are you always telling me what I'm feeling?! You have no idea!"

His face grew red with anger and the whites of his eyes had small little veins running through them. Cuddy saw that the closer he got. He was in physical pain as well.

"I just want to help you," she said, tears building up in her eyes.

"I don't want your damn help," he hissed, coming within inches from her. "Just because we were forced to be together on that island doesn't mean we have to come back here and resume it. You're nothing more than eye candy to me, Cuddy. A friend with benefits."

Cuddy felt her limbs turn to jelly. Her heart sank to the deepest pit of her stomach. Suddenly, her hand had a mind of its own and slapped him across the face without her acknowledgment. "You bastard," she whispered, tears falling from her eyes. He might as well have called her dirt at the bottom of a shoe. Her body grew hot and anger washed through her. "Get out of my house."

She spun around and left, heading back to her room. She slammed the door upon entering and threw her back against it, sobbing quietly. This wasn't something she wanted to add to her issues list. She wanted to be able to lean on House for support, as well as he with her. She had never seen him like this. He never talked down to her like that before. He would say her ass was huge or her wardrobe was too revealing, but he was always joking around. This felt too serious. He really meant what he said and that hurt. Cuddy was in a no win situation with House. One minute the man says he loves her, promised to help her through the events of her family and whatnot, and now he was being his old self with a few add-ons. He couldn't cope, so it was easier for him to throw away one of the only two people in his life that actually care about him, one that would give him the world, even if he didn't ask for it.

Her hand still stung from the slap. That's when she finally realized she hit him and felt bad about it. She didn't even know she did it at the time. His words were too busy sinking in for her to become aware.

She knew he didn't mean those things. He was just looking for the right nerve to pinch. Why? She had no idea. It was easier for him to manage the pain and cope when there wasn't anyone there to care about him, evidently. Cuddy knew she wasn't a master on House, but knowing him for as long as she has, she picked up a few pointers on the way. She knew all she needed to realize that underneath it all, he was afraid. Instead of hitting him and calling him a bastard, she should've let that blow by her, even though it hurt. It always hurts when it comes from the mouth of someone you love. Cuddy's reflexes responded before her intellect.

She loves him. There's no question. She's loved him for years. There's nothing she wouldn't do for him, even if he couldn't admit it all the time that he loves her back. It was there and that's good enough for her. They just had to get through these rough times together to make it work. And right now, she was wasting time standing against her closed bedroom door, sobbing and feeling pity towards herself.

She left her room to head back to the living room. House wasn't there. She looked in the kitchen, bathroom, everywhere. There was no sign of him or his things.

He was gone.

-------------------------

House wasn't too far. In fact, he was just outside the door, sitting on the front step of the house. Cuddy discovered this when she went to look out her window just after it sank in that he left. She grabbed a robe from her bedroom and hurried back to open the door. He didn't turn around when he heard it open.

Cuddy stepped out into the beautiful sunny morning and sat beside him. They were the only ones in the area. The rest of the street was free of people, as well as vehicles. This wasn't an odd thing to see on a Sunday morning at nine o'clock. People were at church or sleeping in. There were the occasional runners here and there, but they come out around seven and end around eight. Cuddy is sometimes one of them. That's one of the things she vowed she'd get back into once all this mess was sorted out.

"Nice day," Cuddy said in a low voice, looking out ahead of her.

House was fiddling with something in his hands. Cuddy glanced over to see it was the Blackberry.

"You should get that activated."

House still didn't say anything.

"Talk to me."

"I don't feel like talking."

"House, if you view me as only eye candy, whatever, it doesn't matter. I still want—"

"What?" he interrupted, finally looking over at her. "What do you want to do? If you say help me, you can leave my sight this instant."

"But I do! House, even before the island, we were friends. In some weird way, we were. You were a part of my life. I didn't stop caring about you then and I'm not stopping now." She placed her hand over his arm.

House didn't say anything right away. He didn't shake her hand off, which was promising.

He sighed. "Christ Cuddy, you could have anyone you want. Someone who could make you happy. Someone normal without unremitting leg pain. Why the hell are you wasting your time with me?"

Cuddy's eyes widened a few centimeters. "Is that why you're being like this? House, I care about you. I love you. Hell, if you asked me to marry you right now, I'd say yes." She enlaced her fingers with his. "I don't need perfection."

He looked at their hands and squeezed it a little tighter.

"I don't deserve you."

Cuddy chuckled and grinned. "For better or worse, you got me. I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you by the looks of things," she said, speaking of him sitting on her front stair.

"Because I have no means of travel," he said a bit on the sarcastic side.

Cuddy just smiled and leaned her head against his arm, hand still in his. She was quiet for a little over a minute before speaking again. "I'm sorry I hit you." She looked up at his cheek and noticed a red mark.

"You better be. That didn't tickle, you know."

Cuddy reached her head up and kissed the part of his cheek that was hit.

"How's your leg?" she asked.

"Hurts like hell. It's only going to get worse if I don't have Vicodin."

"You were so wonderful on the island without being in pain."

"I know. But at least on the island I had a distraction."

His eyes met hers. She frowned a bit. "Is that why you slept with me so many times? So you could fate the pain?"

He evened his head out, looking at the street ahead of them. "Way to jump to conclusions."

"Well what other "distractions" could you be talking about then?"

"We were in the middle of nowhere and I was sick. Isn't that enough of a distraction?"

"You were sick two days before we were rescued. What about the time before that?"

He sent a frown her way. "What do you want me to say?"

"How about the truth, House. Did you only use me for sex? I don't care if it was your way of dealing with the pain, I just have to know." Her eyes and tone were sad. He could see that. He was slowly fucking things up with the only person who could ever give a damn about him. Was he doing that on purpose? Did he really want her to leave him?

"No," he said, voice barely audible as he looked away. He had the sudden urge to flee again and went to get up, but Cuddy held him in place once she saw this. He sighed. Cuddy was desperate. She needed to know where they stood and things going unanswered were slowly eating at her.

She wrapped her arms around him from the side, but said nothing. She hoped their closeness would bring something back. Anything.

"If I only slept with you on the island to distract myself from the pain, we'd be in bed right now," he added in a matching tone.

There was no doubt in Cuddy's mind that part of the reason they slept together so much was because of his leg pain. She knew the difference between sex and lovemaking. There was plenty of sex, but there was also a good share of lovemaking. It was him opening himself up to her. He was free on the island because it was just them. Now he had to come back to the real world where it's him, her, and millions of other people. He didn't know how to open up and found himself screwing it up more and more.

But if there's one thing House knew that was the same then and now, he loved her. It came out freely before when they were together on the island, and then yesterday in the heat of the moment. Funny, loving Stacy came so natural. He was sure of his feelings, as well as her feelings for him. With Cuddy, he knew she loved him. He saw it in her eyes at every given moment of the day. There's nothing she wouldn't do for him. So how come he couldn't admit his feelings to her all the time? Why did he keep lying about the meaning of their sex, leading her to believe he only slept with her to get relief? He always twisted the truth into something worse. Did he want to push her limits? Did he want to test her to see if one day she said she loves him, but if he fucks up, she won't love him anymore? Or Did he just _want_ to push her away because it's so much easier being alone? It was so hard for him to feel hurt. No one knew that of him, but when Stacy left, a part of his heart was broken off. He promised himself he wouldn't ever love someone else and putting Cuddy through this rigorous ordeal wasn't fair to her. Here was someone who was willing to love him for everything he was worth. There's nothing she wouldn't do for him. He was aware relationships that were formed because of dramatic events were doomed to fail. Cuddy wouldn't love him right now if it weren't for the island. Or at least that's what he thought. They would just go on being employer and employee with him checking out her ass and questioning her wardrobe. Now, they both wanted something more. Cuddy knew what she wanted and presented to him with it. How would he show her he felt the same way?

Cuddy was wonderful. There's no one on this planet like her. She's gorgeous, funny, smart, and can put up with him. That's where he fails to see why she would want anything to do with him. Maybe she's just as alone as he is. She's married to her job and didn't have much time for a social life. But she wouldn't just say she loves him for kicks and giggles. She really did love him.

He also put his arm around her and laid his head against hers as it rested on his shoulder. If he didn't want to lose her, he better straighten up and fast.

He kissed the top of her head. "I do love you, Lisa."

A small smile crept onto her face and a warm, fuzzy feeling overwhelmed her heart. "I love you more, Greg."


	30. Milk, Toast, and Honey

**Thanks for the wonderful feedback everyone! Some of the compliments I get drive me to tears because they're so beautiful! Yes, I know I'm very easily brought to tears :)**

**I'll try to update as often as I can to try to end this story and start on the sequel.**

**Enjoy :)**

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House didn't end up leaving that morning. Instead, Cuddy cooked him his first real meal since the incident. He went to town on eggs benedict, bacon, toast, fruit, and orange juice. Since all the necessary items were in Cuddy's kitchen inventory, she figured she'd give it a go.

"I can't remember the last time I cooked," she said, sitting at the table with a small plate full of whole-wheat toast, mixed fruit, and orange juice.

House was too busy stuffing his face to listen. He hummed in satisfaction. "Mmm. Cuddy, you should become a cook," he said with his mouth full.

"Not exactly my forte," she said with a brief chuckle. "But thank you. Coming from you, that means a lot."

"Uh huh," he said, mind totally focused on the food.

She watched him in amazement. He finished the entire meal in less than five minutes. A smile spread across her face.

"Thanks, chef," he said, leaning back into the chair with a successful sigh.

She stood up and retrieved his plate. "You're welcome, sire."

"What's for lunch?" he asked, coming to a stand.

Her jaw dropped. "You can't possibly still be hungry after all that."

"That? Oh that was nothing. I can eat ten burgers in one sitting. Sometimes even more. The end result isn't pretty, though."

Cuddy felt her stomach ache just thinking about that. "Ugh. Too much information, House."

"You better eat something."

"I don't think I want to after hearing about your burger fiasco."

"Sure you do. Open up."

Cuddy turned around while still at the sink and House fed her a strawberry. She bit into the fruit, leaving only the stem behind. Next, he broke off a piece of toast and fed it to her. Cuddy giggled as she chewed it.

"I can feed myself, you know."

"But it's much sexier this way."

"How is it sexy?"

House's grin turned into a smirk. "Close your eyes and open your mouth."

Cuddy's smile disappeared. "House, what are you planning?" Knowing him, it couldn't be something good.

"Just trust me."

Cuddy did as she was told, hoping she wouldn't regret it. House fed her a spoonful of mixed fruit in syrup. She chuckled as she chewed, still having her eyes closed. "Why are you doing this?"

"Shh," he shushed and fed her another piece of toast. "Just making sure you eat all your food like a good little girl."

"House, I'm not three."

"Shhhhut up. You're killing my finale."

She smiled again. "Oh so sorry."

"Don't open your eyes under any circumstances," he said in almost a whisper voice.

Cuddy grew a little worried on the severity. What was he planning to do?

"Open up."

She did so. Suddenly, she felt not a spoon, but his mouth deliver her a small strawberry. She accepted the sweet fruit and held it on her tongue as she met his lips.

"No peeking," he whispered through the kiss.

"I'm not," she said as she started chewing the small fruit and swallowing.

His tongue entered her mouth, tasting the strawberry remains on hers. She moaned in his mouth, but kept her eyes tightly clenched.

"Mmm…tasty."

Next, he delivered her a blueberry. She ate it and shared the juices with him. After every fruit he fed her, he would kiss her. The way he kissed her had turned her on. Her short breathing told House that. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest.

"Still hungry?" he asked against her mouth.

"Starving," she breathed.

That was enough for House. He kissed down her jaw line and to her neck. His lips were still a little damp in spots from the fruit.

"House…"

She felt him undo her robe and snake his hands up the front of her nightie. When he got to her shoulders, he pushed the bathrobe and let it slide down her arms and to the ground. Cuddy had her eyes sealed shut the entire time upon command. On the road back down, House made sure to stop at her breasts, feeling them through the thin nightie, palming them with just the right amount of urgency to get her reeling for more.

"Open your eyes."

Cuddy did so, but they weren't open very long, for he kissed her, causing them to flutter shut again. They were just open long enough to see him looking back at her. Without a word, they moved to the bedroom. Before they got onto the bed, Cuddy slipped off her nightie, leaving her in matching panties. House hungrily ate at her chest, causing Cuddy to let loose a throaty moan. His lips went from Cuddy's chest, to her jaw line, and to her neck, where he promptly nibbled little love bites. He sucked a piece of skin so hard that it caused Cuddy to flinch.

Their eyes met. Cuddy could see the love in his eyes directed only at her. The twinkle in his eye made her heart skip a beat. She had never wanted something so bad than she wanted him in this very moment.

"I love you…" Cuddy whispered, barely moving her mouth and not taking her eyes off his. The backs of his fingers lightly brushed up against her cheek and his thumb grazed over her moist lips. She trembled. He was so gentle.

At first, she didn't think he heard her, but as a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, she realized he did.

"I love you, too," he whispered and captured her lips again.

They took it to the bed after that.

House made love to her that morning. It was a love that she had never felt before and it made her cry right in the middle of it.

"Are you okay?" he asked, seizing his thrusts. "Am I hurting you?"

Cuddy shook her head no and told him to go on. This wasn't like sex on the island. For the first time, Cuddy actually felt his love for her. It might've been the way he moved so gently, or maybe the way his kind eyes looked into hers with so much respect and honor. If House didn't vocally tell her that he loved her, she could see it right now. It was so beautiful.

Between House lightly grunting in her ear with every thrust and his hands at her breasts, her sexual intensity heightened. The feeling spread through every inch of her body, fanning out from her fingers to the tip of her toes.

When she felt herself nearing her first orgasm of the morning, she whispered breathlessly for him to give it to her harder. He did as she requested and was rewarded with Cuddy's cries of elation that filled the room. He found himself looking into her eyes when he pulled his head back to witness the look she gave him. He couldn't help himself. He kissed her. She was just too beautiful to resist.

The noises she made, the trembling of her body, and the sexy grimaces on her face when she came finally set House off. He quickened the pace like none he's done so far and came hard--so hard that he didn't think he would ever stop.

They shared a kiss of extreme passion. Both bodies were covered in a thin film of sweat as they struggled to catch their breath.

"God, House, that was—"

"Amazing?" he threw in for her, followed by a grin. "Remarkable? Noteworthy?"

"All the above," she said with a matching grin and leaned in to kiss him.

Their Sunday morning didn't end there. Both of them were starving for sex and took their hunger out on one another.

They crashed after that, sleeping until almost dinnertime. House awoke first, arms still wrapped around Cuddy from behind, spooning her completely. He smirked and kissed an exposed piece of flesh belonging to her neck. That woke her up with a groan.

"I'm hungry, mommy. For food this time."

"You are more than capable of cooking, House," she said, turning onto her back and looking up at him tiredly. "In fact, I would like dinner in bed, please."

House scoffed. "Yeah right, maybe in your next life." He sat up.

Cuddy laughed and got out of bed, donning her tiny nightie and matching panties. She stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes.

"You're still tired?"

"A little. Well what can I say House, you're insatiable. You knocked the wind right out of me," she said with a sly grin, approaching him from the front and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Did I now? Hmm…that's almost the best thing you've ever said to me."

"What's the best?" she asked.

"'Clinic is covered,' although you always manage to say that when I'm trying to avoid a case, rather than the clinic."

"When I get my job back, House, I expect you to be the same as you always are, not any different."

He also put his arms around her. "Doesn't sleeping with the boss mean I get a reprieve from the clinic?"

She grinned. "Nope. And that also doesn't give you permission to check out my ass either."

His eyebrows wiggled. "Mmm. You sure do drive a hard bargain, Cuddy."

"I live for it," she said, casually slapping his right ass cheek before walking away.

"Oh now that's not fair," he said, following her. "You can slap my ass, but I can't look at yours?"

"You can look at it here all you want, House, but not at the hospital. I definitely don't plan to slap your ass then."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm going to activate our phones."

House kept himself busy while Cuddy made dinner. She pulled out an old pasta cookbook and stumbled upon Pasta Di Pina. After discovering she had the right ingredients, she went ahead and prepared that for her and House. As she finely chopped the garlic cloves, a smile suddenly spread across her face. She felt like a teenager again, having her very first crush on a boy she really liked. As the time went on, she didn't feel that feeling again. She had dates here and there and casual sex, but no one really caught her eye. So what's the next step? Marrying your job if you can't find that special someone. Cuddy figured she wasn't the romantic type, so doing her job was very easy since she didn't have a family to manage.

But now she was in love again, and with the person one would least expect to be relationship worthy. She suddenly wanted to become a wife, a mother, a homemaker. This was the second time she's prepared a meal in years and she liked it.

Cuddy bit her lower lip in thought. It was just then that House came limping into the kitchen with one of the cell phones ringing. He held them both in his left hand.

"They work," he said. He set them down and approached her from behind, sniffing over her shoulder. "Mmm. That garlic smells good."

She giggled as he kissed her neck. "Well I hope you like pasta because that's what I'm making. Or at least attempting to make here. I haven't boiled pasta in like five years and I don't even know if I'm chopping this garlic properly."

I'm sure you can handle it. I'm going to watch TV or something. Maybe they have some really good porno on demand."

Cuddy chuckled. "Only you could get turned on over something as fake as porn on HBO."

"You're absolutely right. I'm glad you see it my way."

"What way?"

"Bye bye," he said, walking out of the kitchen.

"House, you better not be renting the adult channel!" she yelled after him. She didn't chase after him. She knew he was messing around with her.

He must've kept himself busy because he didn't bother her until dinner was ready. He came into the kitchen a minute after she called him. She noticed his limp getting worse, knocking the smile right off her face. They were doing so well after this morning. She hated to relive that because of his leg.

"Pain is getting worse," he said, taking a seat and immediately massaging his thigh.

Cuddy hated to bring up the Vicodin, but she felt she had no other choice. If he didn't have the pills, he would be in pain. She didn't want to see him in pain.

"Can you last one more night without Vicodin?" she asked after a small sigh, taking a seat across from him.

He nodded. He definitely wasn't faking when he said he was in pain. His eyes appeared somewhat glazed over and the area around his eyes was slightly red. As much as Cuddy wanted him to lose the Vicodin, she knew it would help him.

"I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to confront Zachary. Can you wait until then?"

"As long as it's very early, like four in the morning. Maybe three."

"House, I'm serious, are you okay?" she asked, noticing some sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes, Cuddy, I'm okay. Don't worry, I'm not going to call you eye candy again or do anything that will upset you. Speaking of confronting Zachary, shouldn't you do it with a lawyer?" he asked, changing the subject.

Cuddy stuck her fork into the pasta and twirled it around a bit slowly. "I've thought about it."

"Get Stacy," he suggested.

Cuddy's face twisted up. "I don't want to see Stacy."

"Why not? She'll do it for nothing and you're not exactly rolling in cash at the moment."

Since they came back when the banks were already closed, Cuddy couldn't call and see if her family had wiped out her savings. She planned to use tomorrow to not only storm her office and get her job back, but make dates with lawyers, which could take all day if she didn't know them. It would have to be out of pocket cost for her and House was right, she wasn't exactly rolling in it.

She sighed. "Why do I feel myself regretting this already and I didn't even say yes."

"I don't want to see her either, but if she could settle everything into place, what's the harm in trying?"

"She's your ex, House."

"So? Doesn't mean I'm going to jump in the sack with her when you're not looking."

Cuddy laughed quietly. "Actually that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Maybe not from you, but from her." She took a bite of the pasta and hummed in satisfaction. "This is amazing."

"Why? She's married."

"That didn't stop you before, did it? Old residual feelings came back, blah blah blah, you two slept together at your apartment."

He frowned. "How did you know that?"

"She came to me the following day asking me for advice or something. I don't know, I really wasn't paying attention. The point is that if you did it once, you'll do it again. The answer is no, we are not getting Stacy."

"So you're willing to jeopardize your career just because you're afraid of me sleeping with Stacy? Who cares if we did? It's not like you and I are a couple or anything," he said, taking a bite of pasta.

Cuddy felt a spasm hit her heart. "I know," she said in a small voice.

"So then it's settled. I'll call her after dinner."

Cuddy suddenly felt her appetite vanish. She set her fork down and immediately pressed in gently at her stomach.

"What is it?"

"I don't feel so good."

House was about to say something probably filled with sarcasm, but only got as far as opening his mouth when Cuddy left the table, walking briskly to the bathroom. House limped after her. When he arrived there, Cuddy was on her knees, leaning over the bowl. Her left hand reached up to flush whatever was in the bowl, but didn't get up right away after that.

"Are you okay?" he asked, standing in the doorway.

"A wave of nausea hit me out of nowhere and my vision is bouncing like I had way too much to drink, but other than that, peachy."

"Maybe you're pregnant."

She shot a look back at him.

"Just kidding."

He helped her to her feet. She rested against him, feeling tired. Suddenly, she moaned in pain. "I think I'm cramping."

"Maybe this is your body's way of welcoming you back to the real world," he said, putting an arm around her waist, preparing to take her to her bed for the night. "Please don't tell me you're into those heating pad things because those are just a clever way to make money. They don't work."

"Actually, I never cramp bad enough to use heating pads or pills, but thanks for your concern," she said, looking up at him with a smile.

"You're very welcome."

They got half way between the bathroom and the bedroom when Cuddy stopped all together. She gasped, pressing her hands in at her abdomen, trying to stop a sudden tearing feeling that overcame her. House froze, becoming alarmed on just her gasping alone.

"Cuddy, are you—"

"Oh my god," she whispered, suddenly feeling her panties soaking up with liquid. She looked to the floor just in time to see spots of blood dripping from her panties. Tears came to her eyes, blocking her view.

This definitely wasn't just menstruation, or her body becoming adjusted to life outside bananas and coconuts. She knew exactly what it was. She threw her hand over her mouth and cried quietly over her loss.

She was pregnant the entire time.


	31. Trial and Error

**Thanks guys for the wonderful reviews for the past chapter! I'm very pleased with the succession of this story and how you all made it possible to be that way ^^**

**I'm guesstimating that there will be about two or three more chapters. Yeah I know I said that about ten chapters ago but I just can't find the heart to end this story! But progress is going nicely and I'm happily running out of ideas so it will end soon!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Everyone was thrilled to see Cuddy back at the hospital. However, she wasn't there for the reason they thought. She became a patient. This definitely was not the way Cuddy wanted to come back.

The bleeding had significantly slowed, but she still spotted. Before going to the hospital, she changed her clothes, in tears the entire time. It was pointless to think she'd still be pregnant, but she still had a little bit of hope inside.

Cuddy was given an ultrasound in the clinic. She swallowed hard as the wand connected with her abdomen. She never doubted that she was pregnant. She didn't know how far along, but knew for sure she was. Her body wasn't going through some change because of malnutrition. There could be cases of that out there, but not with her. She had been pregnant before. She knew what it felt like and wished she had stuck to her guns about it.

"Is there anything there?" she asked in a tiny voice, afraid of the answer she would get.

She looked away from the screen the entire time. House's grip on her hand got tighter after she asked that.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cuddy."

Cuddy sealed her eyes shut, squeezing a tear out of each.

"You can always try again."

Yeah, that seemed to be the answer for everyone who miscarries.

"Well at least we know one thing," House said after the young clinic doctor left. "You are capable of becoming pregnant."

"And I'm also capable of miscarrying, which is apparently what I do best." Cuddy sat up, wiping the gel off. "But that's not the point. Dr. What's-his-name in Hawaii said I wasn't pregnant. I had to have been about a month into my pregnancy, how could he not tell?"

"Maybe he didn't test for it and just said he did. I knew there was something fishy about him. I didn't trust him."

That would seem like the most logical answer, otherwise he would've easily found it. Testing for pregnancy was the easiest thing to do. Cuddy started to wish she did it herself coming home. But what would that have done? It would've only made her happy for a day and then she'd be right back to here.

"But why would he do that?"

House shrugged. "Maybe he was hoping to knock you up himself."

"House, that's not funny."

"Come on, Cuddy, you were a month pregnant. The critter wasn't even an inch long yet and lacked arms and legs and everything in between."

"So that makes it okay to crack jokes, regardless of how I feel? It was a life, House. In eight more months, it would've been a living, breathing newborn baby. In eighteen years, it would've been an adult."

"The fact that you're calling it an "it" allows you to see my point. Don't stress about it. You have a lot more on your plate to deal with right now. I think I saw your nephew already. You should go get him."

If it's not one thing, it's another. Cuddy threw her hand over her face. "Can I just morn my loss for one minute, please?" she said harshly and then glared up at him. "Why don't you go occupy yourself and get some Vicodin."

At first, it didn't look like House was going to leave, but then his Blackberry started buzzing. He then turned and headed for the door after glancing at it. "Maybe I will."

Cuddy sighed, followed by a sob. Who up there hated her this much to keep punishing her? First, the island, then her parents, her job, and now she miscarries without even knowing she was pregnant. To top it all off, House goes running to get pills right when she needs someone to hold onto. Won't she ever catch a break? Something had to give.

In spite of her tears, and how weak she felt after going through yet another miscarriage, Cuddy hopped off the table and fled the room, as if on a mission. If she couldn't have a baby, the least she could do is get her hospital back. Although barging in on Feeney probably wasn't a good idea without a lawyer. Cuddy didn't care about that right now. She wasn't thinking. So many bad things were happening and she was slowly starting to lose her grip on reality. She needed something to stabilize her.

House saw her storm through the clinic and smirked. You go, girl. He grabbed his Blackberry and put it to work.

She stormed into her old office, ignoring the new name on the door. Feeney was in there, leaning back in the chair and talking on the phone. It definitely wasn't a business matter he was discussing. No business would make anyone laugh the way he was.

Cuddy threw open the inside doors and made herself known. Feeney immediately blanched and hung up the phone.

"Lisa, I…I didn't know you were here. What can I do for you?" he asked, putting on a sweet smile.

"Oh cut the crap Zach, your running for campaign smile is worse than your father's." So much for the family reunion. She rested her hands on the top of the chair in front of her. "I'm going to make this simple for you, sweetie. Give me back my job and I won't take any legal action against you."

Zachary was visibly nervous, but tried to cover it up.

"You know you won't win. As soon as I get the legal files drawn up that states that I'm alive and well, I have every right to reclaim my job. You were able to get it so well because no one was here to stop you and the position needed to be filled quickly. You're not even qualified for this job, Zach. Daddy was able to pull the strings and get you in here, wasn't he? I bet a six figure sum was drawn up into the deal somewhere."

"I have every right to be here!" he said, standing up so quick that the chair nearly fell over. "And nothing you do is going to change that."

"Are you sure about that?" The voice belonged to House. Cuddy looked back in surprise, not expecting to see him in here. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Greg House. I hear you closed down my department and fired my lackeys. Big mistake. I also hear that you fired the lead oncologist."

"I ended up hiring a new one, but thanks for your concern."

"Yeah, probably a relative of yours with a degree from a community college no less." House limped beside Cuddy.

"Get your pills?" she asked.

"Not yet. You'll see why in a second. So, as I was saying, or rather…as Cuddy was saying, be a good little boy and go home to mommy, or else we'll have to bring up in court on how unfair and discourteous you were to the well respected staff of this hospital.

"You have no proof of that!" By now, Zachary had beads of sweat rolled along the top of his forehead and fear could be seen in his crystal blue eyes.

House smirked. "Yes, I figured you'd see it that way, so I brought reinforcements. Entrez!"

All at once, handfuls of people that Feeney had either fired or made force to resign came through the door, including Wilson, Cameron, Chase, Foreman, Wilson's researchers, and even the weird night janitor who wore his pants backwards. Cuddy had no idea they were all waiting to storm in. She raised her eyebrows and looked over at House.

"I came well prepared. Whoever gave me the new Blackberry, I'll have to thank them. The multiple text feature thing with voice is fantastic."

"This is preposterous!" Feeney shouted. "I had a legit reason for these people to be fired!"

"All we were doing was drinking coffee in the lab," one of the oncology researchers spoke up from the crowd.

"I can top that. All I did was go to the second floor in search of my mop I left behind," the janitor said.

"You treated us all unfairly and inhumanely," Cameron said.

"And we won't let it go unsaid," Chase piped up.

"Well see, there you have it," House said. "There's about…twenty or so people in here that will have our back if you try to keep Cuddy's job from her. Now, kid, I know you're a respectable…person, who I assume doesn't like to be looked at negatively. You'll probably want to save yourself from making the morning papers as the selfish ass who wouldn't give the Dean of Medicine back her job, even though she came in here so nicely and said pretty please."

"I have every right to be here, Dr. House, and you're threatening me!"

"Oh, does that appear to be what I'm doing? Oops. My bad. Let me rephrase that then. Zachary Feeney, get your ass up, get your things, and get the hell out of Lisa Cuddy's office. By this time tomorrow, you better not even so much as have a book in this office that belongs to you, or I'll destroy you so bad that no other hospital administrator in this country would want to touch you. Is this in any way unclear?"

Suddenly Feeney felt his tie constricting his neck. He swallowed hard and tugged on it. The sweat droplets were becoming much more prominent now.

"You do not scare me, Dr. House."

House chuckled. "Everybody lies. Partir!" Upon command, everyone, assuming they knew French, knew that House was telling them to leave. Everyone left, one by one, and House followed. Cuddy was the only one remaining, smiling brightly. For once, she had the upper hand and it felt good.

"You know just as well as I do, Zach, that no matter how many legal channels you go through, this job belongs to me. I'm sure your father can find you another job. That is, if you don't piss House off first."

Flashing a smile, she turned on her heels and left her office. Now she really owed House. Half of the stuff he said in there he was bullshitting, but made it sound realistic.

House took her by the waist and kissed her as soon as she got back into the clinic. Everyone clapped and cheered.

"You keep saving my life, Dr. House," Cuddy said, pulling back just far enough to look into his beautiful blue eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll see that it's paid back in full," he joked, going in for another kiss.

This was possibly the most challenging day Cuddy ever had to face. It was practically an emotional roller coaster. One minute, things would be going great, and the next, she would be spiraling downward with nothing to catch her fall. She had a miscarriage, ending a pregnancy she didn't even know she had, and the day ended with her getting her job back. It seems that the worst was over. How much worse could things get?

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"Lisa, so nice to hear your voice after this long."

Cuddy groaned inwardly. This was not the first thing she wanted to hear so early in the morning, especially since the night before, she barely got any sleep, thanks to her celebration with House. "Sam. Unfortunately the pleasure is all yours." He still sounded like the same cocky bastard she once knew. How could her sister have married this man and had children with him? It was always a mystery to her. She felt bad for her two poor little nieces.

Sam laughed. "Oh, that's just like you Lisa; you never lost that sense of humor."

"Sam, you don't even know me. We met once in passing."

"I've heard a lot about you though."

"Hang up," House said, rolling over in bed, facing her. "He's just trying to intimidate you."

Cuddy laughed. "Yeah, well it's not working. That's like you trying to intimidate me, House. Look, Sam, I'm busy having sex with like five different men. Don't call back."

She disconnected the call and plopped her new Blackberry on the nightstand. "I really should've changed my number."

"Five different men?" House questioned. "Am I really that good?"

"Don't flatter yourself, handsome," she said, rolling back over and hoisting herself on top of him and kissing him.

"Well, well, look who wants to be on top."

Cuddy smirked and traced her fingernail down his jaw line. "I've never had an issue with being on top. I just wanted you to do all the work."

"Liar. You spent the entire time on the island avoiding being on top. What was your excuse? Something to do with insecurities or whatever."

Cuddy laughed.

"Are you worried about Sam?"

Cuddy's face grew serious. "You have a hot woman on top of you and you're wondering about Sam?"

"Well I thought it would be weird to ask during sex, so I thought I'd ask now."

Cuddy smirked. "No, I'm not worried about Sam, now shut up and kiss me."

"You're the one on top, boss. You make the moves."

The two spent the rest of the morning making love. Thanks to House, she was able to push the horrid event of the miscarriage to the back of her head and bring forth the things that were going right for her.

By the end of their sex session, Cuddy checked her phone. She had a dozen missed calls from Sam and two from her brother Eric. She sighed as she saw this and turned her ringer back on.

"He's trying to intimidate you," House said, grabbing his Vicodin from the nightstand and popping a couple.

"He's doing a good job. We need a lawyer, House."

"Yeah, I know. Too bad there's only one person I know that will come and do it immediately with no hassle."

Cuddy laid back down, staring up at the ceiling. "You know how I feel about Stacy. And why are you so quick to get her here? You sound like you want her here for reasons not listed. It's not like you care about getting your job back."

"No, but I do care that I'm still registered as dead man walking."

Cuddy turned onto her side with a giggle, followed by a smirk. "Wow, if you're dead now performing all these moves, I'd like to see you when you're alive."

House looked at her in surprise. "Jeez, woman, are you seriously still turned on after all that? How long has it been since you've had a man in your bed anyway?"

Cuddy snaked her arm around House's waist. "Too long."

"Well you're just going to have to be a good little girl and contain yourself for today. We have to get our lives back together."

"Fine, hurry up and call Stacy so we can get back to bed," she whined.

House smirked. "Oh you are insatiable. I already called her."

Cuddy frowned. "You what? When?"

"Yesterday. She'll be here tomorrow. We have to wait for her before we can do anything."

"So pretty much we're doing nothing until tomorrow when she comes?"

House shrugged. "I guess so, yeah."

Cuddy sighed and stared up at the ceiling again. "Talking about Stacy turned me off. I'm not comfortable with her being here and I'm not happy you did this without my consent."

"I had a relationship with her, that's it. It's not like I was married to her."

"House, I don't care. She's your ex."

"She's called my ex for a reason, Cuddy, meaning we're no longer together." He slipped his boxers back on and threw a shirt over his head.

"She came back once before and you two got back together for a night of romance and passion, so what makes you think it won't happen again?"

"So what if it does? It's not like you and me are a couple or anything."

"Oh will you stop saying that?!"

"What?!" he asked, stunned by her outburst.

Cuddy jumped out of bed and donned a robe. "So what are we then if we're not a couple? Am I just a free pass to sex or something?"

"Whoa, Cuddy, you're the one who wanted sex."

"What, and you didn't? The whole time on the island, _you_ slept with _me_. Not the other way around."

"Right, and so we come back home and it's your turn. So what, we're even. What's the point here?"

"You keep sending me mixed signals!" Cuddy cried. "You save me from the plane crash, the shark, hurricanes, and other perils on the island, and then you help me get my job back. Meanwhile we're having mind-blowing sex the entire time. Are we together or not?"

House raised his eyebrows a few centimeters, about to shoot off something sarcastic when Cuddy interrupted him, telling him not to do so. Instead, he sighed loudly and stood up. "Cuddy…"

Cuddy grew nervous with his sudden grave disposition.

"Do you have any idea what to look forward to if you were with me? I could never offer you what you want and I'd be gainsaying everything about us, similar to what I'm doing now."

"Why?" Cuddy couldn't help the tears that came rushing to her eyes. "Can't you just give it a chance?"

He approached her solemnly, cupping her cheek with one hand while running his fingers through her curls with the other.

"I care about you too much to keep hurting you."

"You're hurting me now by being this way. Please, House…I don't care if we don't have the perfect relationship. As I said before, I don't need perfection. Whatever you go through, we can do it together. I'll help you. I love you."

House lowered his head. "You can't mean that."

"Why not?"

"How could someone like you want some narcissistic son of a bitch like me?"

"And you can't handle it so you're trying to make me hate you and say it's over, right? House, I don't know why I love you, okay? I'll be honest. It's not like you flatter me with poetry or deliver red roses to my doorstep. I like those things, but I don't need them. I don't need anything like that. Being near you is all I want. You don't have to give me anything."

"So you just want a fuck buddy, is that it?"

"What? No! House, I want YOU. I want us to have a life together."

Their eyes met again. Her lower lip trembled. House saw this and ran the pad of his thumb gently across the surface of her lower lip. "I've loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you, Lisa," he said, a cross between whisper and the next level up, mouth barely moving.

A tear fell from Cuddy's eye, connecting with the hand that he rested on her cheek. "Then…why? I don't care who you are or how incapable you are of being in a relationship. Just give it a chance." She placed both hands flat against his chest.

"I'll hurt you," he said in the same tone as before. "I'll end up hurting you in some way."

"I'll worry about it then."

House paused for a moment, satisfied with just looking into her eyes. Cuddy was too, but then she closed the small gap between them and hugged him as if he was about to leave her for good and never look back. House wrapped both hands around her completely and pressed her to him. He took in the sweet scent of her hair and skin. What the fuck was wrong with him? In his arms, he had someone that was willing to do anything in the world for him and he couldn't commit worth a damn. All Cuddy wanted was a simple yes answer and he couldn't even do that for her without making it more complicating. That's how it would always be and she was only going to get hurt. He didn't want to hurt her. But she wasn't going away. He didn't want her to. If she was okay with this contradiction and the inability to make up his mind, he was prepared to give it a go.

He didn't want her to give up on him. He loved her, even more so than she loved him. He just needed time and many trial and error attempts to be able to change his insecurities about being in a relationship.

"So…you want to be a couple?"

Cuddy smiled and pulled back. "Seriously?"

He shrugged. "If you can put up with me, sure."

She reached up to kiss him. He kissed back with twice as much urgency.

Oh yes, this was definitely the woman he was spending the rest of his life with.


	32. Old Flame

**Hey everyone. Thanks for the feedback on the past chapter! I love you guys so much with all your wonderful comments and/or suggestions! Even though I can't respond to everyone's reviews all the time, just to let you know, they do brighten my day like you wouldn't believe! ^^**

**I'm posting this a little early because all the way up until Labor Day, I'm going to be swamped at work and won't even have a chance to come home and look at this story for at least the next five days. :(**

**Enjoy :) **

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It was late Wednesday afternoon, the day before their court hearing at the Mercer County courthouse. For the past two days, House and Cuddy got along great. They were just like a normal, happy, everyday couple. Cuddy went back to work Tuesday, although it wasn't completely official just yet. They needed Stacy to perform some legal matters and print up some documents to sign. But Feeney was gone and Eric resigned from the board. It didn't please Cuddy that she lost her top benefactor, but at least they left without a fight. Hopefully it would stay that way.

As far as she could also tell, her parents and sister left without a fight as well. Perhaps Cuddy coming back into the picture didn't need to be brought up between all of them while performing their scams. How likely would it be that someone comes walking back from such a horrible accident? They were all happier than pigs in shit. Cuddy had no idea she had family members that would take advantage of her. Well, at least they didn't touch her bank accounts or her pension. If she didn't get back when she did, she was almost sure that would be next. Who even knows if they're done with her yet. They're probably forming a pact together to slam her all at once, even Eric, although he doesn't associate with the family. If they all want the same thing, they'll figure out how to compromise. They wouldn't stay this quiet for nothing. Cuddy wasn't worried. At least about that anyway. Her biggest concern was Stacy coming back into their lives. It was fine before, because Stacy was married and Cuddy wasn't with House. Now that Stacy was divorced and had nothing holding her back, even House and Cuddy being together. Stacy obviously didn't care about cheating on her own husband; she's not going to care if House is seeing someone.

"Okay, that's the last thing that should be on your mind right now, Lisa," Cuddy whispered to herself, hanging her framed awards back on her summer colored walls.

Ever since House so casually mentioned Stacy coming back, it's all she's been thinking about. The last time they saw each other, Stacy was ready to leave Mark to be with House. House sold Stacy the same crap that he tried to do with Cuddy, saying that he could never make her happy. Stacy never fought back. She just accepted it and left. But now that she's coming back, what's going to happen? Surely, she's not going to keep her mitts to herself. She never could. Ugh…

She was not leaving Cuddy's mind whatsoever. The closer the time came for her to come to the hospital to have them sign paperwork, the more on edge Cuddy became. It made it almost impossible for her to restore her office to the way it was before she left, although the thoughts of her nephew reigning over the parade would be a little harder to shake.

Between Stacy, her nephew, brother, and her family, it's a wonder that Cuddy could focus on any tasks at hand. Good thing she really didn't have to. She was the innocent one here. All she wanted to do was go to court for a maximum of five minutes, be declared alive again, and get her assets back in her name. Easy, right? It would be that easy for House. Whatever Sam has cooking up, it's not going to be so easy. She knew he had his hands on her original assets, will, deeds, and title to her car. With the simple forgery of her signature, everything can simply be altered. Sam was good at what he did. He wouldn't go through with this fraud unless everything was perfect.

That hearing was first thing Monday. Tomorrow, they were simply getting their lives off the dead list; reclaim their jobs, medical licenses, and anything else they lost from the crash. That was step one. Cuddy was just nervous on what they were going to tell her tomorrow. House would walk out of there like none of this ever happened. Cuddy would be living again, but with nothing that belonged to her. At least not until Monday came along. At least she would have her job back. Tomorrow after court, she planned to come back here and get started right away on everything Feeney slacked on. He picked the charts he wanted to review and tossed aside those he didn't. He also never stayed on top of what the hospital needed, making him a terrible administrator. He was definitely in this for the money, not for the job.

Cuddy sat back in her chair and looked at the pile of charts she wished she could go through and start reviewing them. She felt like a stranger in her own office. They let her in there only to clean up. Same with House.

She left her office to head up to his. When she got there, he was talking to Wilson by his desk. It looked like a grave conversation, for she had never seen House's face so serious. She debated whether or not she should interrupt them. She wouldn't have, but House looked past Wilson when he saw her at the door.

Cuddy walked in, a little hesitantly, but was greeted with Wilson's warm smile, taking some of the thickness out of the air and making it more comfortable.

"Hey, Lisa."

"Hey, boys. What's going on?"

"Nothing," House said, turning back to his computer and minimizing something in a hurry. He did try to make it not obvious by opening another screen and typing in something else on the Net, but Cuddy was still a bit suspicious. She didn't say anything though.

"Uh huh, so how have you been?" she asked Wilson.

"Uh…good, good, just fine, and yourself?" he replied nervously.

Cuddy twisted her mouth in thought. "You just answered three times in a row. What's going on here?"

Wilson cleared his throat, as if it was a cue for House to start speaking. "Stacy's taking an earlier flight and she's staying with us until Monday morning," House said, speaking nonchalantly, and not even looking away from the screen.

Cuddy's eyebrows raised a few centimeters. That definitely wiped the smile right off her face. "Can I ask why?"

"Because she's doing us a favor, so I wanted to do her a favor."

"If you want to do her a favor, House, put her in your apartment. As far as I know, it's been empty for the past two months," she said flatly, definitely not too hot on the idea of Stacy being with them for the weekend. Why was House so blasé about this woman all of a sudden? And why did Wilson appear nervous at the sound of it? Did he know something Cuddy didn't know?

A twinge of jealousy and dislike for Stacy filled her heart. She wasn't being told the complete truth and that bothered her.

"She's not staying at my house, I'll tell you that right now. If you're so hot for her to stay by your side, you can go with her. Either way she's not going to be under my roof, I don't care how many favors she does for us."

House glanced over to her in a feigned shock. "Wow, aren't you cold."

Cuddy threw her arms out by her side. "Call me what you want. I'm not exactly keen on the idea of the ex girlfriend of my current boyfriend in the same area for too long, if at all. Sorry, House, but it's not happening. I don't trust her."

"Wow, my ears are ringing."

Cuddy looked over her shoulder quickly to notice Stacy standing at the door with a messenger bag swung over her shoulder and a briefcase in hand. She had a smile on her face that Cuddy quickly started to despise.

"You're here early," Cuddy pointed out. They weren't expecting her for a couple more hours.

"Took an earlier flight," she said, walking into the room.

Wilson excused himself and left, leaving the three alone. Cuddy took one chair, Stacy took the other, and House stayed where he was. He even turned off his computer screen and everything. It would've been nice if Cuddy got the same appreciation!

Cuddy wasn't comfortable in Stacy's presence. Her distance showed it, although she tried to remain professional and did so with good posture, but didn't say anything unless she was spoken to.

"Before we start, I just wanted to apologize what happened," she said, sounding authentically sympathetic, though she was probably full of shit. "I can't imagine what you must've gone though, especially you, Lisa."

"Gee, ya think?"

"And I know you're a little sensitive about me right now, but I assure you that I intend to make this as professional as I would with any other case. I'm glad you both suggested me. It's a plus when a lawyer already knows about their clients."

'Believe me, I wish I got a say in it,' Cuddy thought, feeling the urge to wipe the smile off Stacy's face.

She opened her briefcase to extract two folders. One was for House, and the other was for Cuddy.

"In here are copies of the documents you'll be presented with in court. You will have to sign them in front of a judge and a witness, which will be me. I'm giving them to you now so you'll have time to look over them for tomorrow. Greg, yours will take about ten minutes after the lecture, but Lisa, yours is a bit more complicating. I went through the database and pulled up your file on the mainframe. It doesn't look good."

Cuddy frowned. "What do you mean it doesn't look good?"

"I pulled up a copy of your will and it states that in the event of your death, your property and assets will go to your next of kin, which would be your sister in Texas."

Cuddy was angry, even at the messenger. "Okay, for one, I didn't even have a will on file! Second, if I did, I would never have put my family as my receivers if I were to die. I'd rather give my assets to the state rather than my sister! And third, I'm not even dead, so that makes my will, if I had one, invalid for the time being!"

"Lisa, trust me, I'll do everything I can to fix this. I will be ready Monday, one way or the other, but Samuel Bernstein is a very good lawyer."

"He must be if he can trump up legal documents and forge my name to them."

"Do you have the original deed to your home?"

Cuddy shook her head. "My parents got a hold of it in my safety deposit box somehow. Supposedly my original will was there too."

Stacy nodded. "That's probably where he'll say he got it."

Stacy talked to them for over an hour about the case and what to expect. Now much would happen tomorrow. They would go in, sign documents showing proof they were still very much alive, and then would be able to go out and reapply for their driver's licenses, as well as get things situated with credit cards and checking accounts now that they would have their social security cards obtained.

Cuddy still didn't feel reassured that things would go well for her in court Monday morning. Sam would be there and probably her parents and Karen as well. There was so much going on right now that she could barely wrap her head around it all. Would she even be able to get her job back? Sure she scared Feeney into leaving and Eric to resign, which is a good thing, but what happens if they counterattack it and fight? Stacy made it clear that tomorrow Cuddy would also find out if she's able to keep her job without going through the legalities. She was almost sure that wouldn't be a problem. Almost sure? What the hell does that mean?

It was an agonizing hour being in the same room as Stacy. Cuddy was glad when she left House's office.

House opened his mouth to speak, but Cuddy cut him off. "No, House."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" he semi-whined.

"You were going to say something along the lines of 'see, Cuddy, Stacy really isn't so bad, is she? Can she please stay the weekend? Pretty, pretty please?'" she mocked. "The answer is still no. You want her so bad, take her to your apartment. Although keep in mind that if you stay with her, don't bother coming back to my house."

"She's doing you a favor," he said, standing up and limping after her as she left his office.

"Yeah, and I've done her plenty of favors here before, like employ her at this hospital when she needed it."

"You wanted her to be here."

"No, House, I didn't _mind_ her being here. I never wanted her here, particularly now that she's divorced and thinks she's doing us a favor."

"You think I'm going to end up in bed with her, is that it?"

"It's not you I don't trust. It's her."

"Cuddy, I'm not going to sleep with her," he said, following a chuckle. "She's from another life, a life in which you weren't in."

He grabbed her by the arm, stopping her in her tracks, and pulling her to him. He could see it in her eyes that she was extremely bothered and feared by this. He cupped her cheek with his left hand. "I love you, not her."

"Your feelings for her never went away after you broke up. When she came back—"

"That's in the past," he said. "Cuddy, with so much to worry about, don't make trusting me become one of them. She'll stay at my apartment and we won't see her unless we have to, okay? Will that make you feel better?"

"A little."

House leaned in and kissed her. She kissed back urgently.

"You know what I liked?" he asked a moment later, lips inches away from hers.

"What?" she whispered.

"You called me your boyfriend in my office."

Cuddy smiled. "I liked that, too."

"Come on, let's go home."

Cuddy's smile remained. "Okay."

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Stacy ended up staying in a hotel, and would be continuing to do so until her flight on Monday afternoon. She didn't want to be an inconvenience to House and Cuddy if she stayed with them, or at House's apartment. Why she was even considering to do so in the first place baffled Cuddy. She may want her favor returned, but that's a very dumb way to want it.

Cuddy fully expected her to try something, but so far, she didn't. Stacy didn't even so much as call.

"What's wrong?" House asked her in bed that night when she stared off into space.

"Maybe I was too hard on Stacy."

"I don't believe it. We spend hours full of passion and are in need for one hell of a night's recovery and you're thinking about Stacy?"

Cuddy grinned. "Payback for you thinking about Sam the other night."

"Oh, you little minx. You're lucky I'm exhausted."

Cuddy turned over onto her side and purred, lightly driving the pad of her finger in a circular motion around his chest. She rested her chin on his arm. "Are you really exhausted?"

"Yes! God woman, you are definitely at your prime."

"Either that or I'm making up for all those years I didn't have sex with another human being," she whispered, traveling her hand down his chest, past his stomach, and to his sleeping member. She giggled when it woke up at the slightest contact.

"Looks like it misses me."

They ended up going another round with Cuddy on top. House insisted on it because he was just too tired to perform.

After that, Cuddy finally fell asleep, laying halfway on him. He pretended he was asleep until he heard her breathing softly in a content sleep. He turned his head and kissed the top of her forehead before he wiggled carefully away from her and got out of bed successfully without waking her. The way they went at it, she'd be asleep well until the morning. He'd be able to get away.

He dressed himself and limped out of the bedroom. He didn't think Cuddy would ever fall asleep. Hopefully she wouldn't wake up before she had to tomorrow morning.

He grabbed his cell phone and made a call.

"Hey," a voice answered.

"Hey. Sorry it took so long. Are you here?"

"I'm parked outside the house, Greg. I've been here for over an hour."

House apologized and hung up. He left the house to meet up with Stacy. He slipped into the front seat of her rental car.

"You sure you want to do this without Lisa knowing?" she asked, placing her hand gently over his upper leg.

He sighed, followed by a nod. "I'm sure."

Together, they drove back to her hotel.

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***gasp* what do you think?**


	33. With All My Heart

**Hey everyone! A few things before we start. I am so incredibly surprised to check my email since last Wednesday to see how well the past chapter did (as well as Royal Caribbean). I haven't gotten 50 reviews for a chapter in a long while, so I thank you all who reviewed the last chapter! I love you guys! :D**

**Because of how wonderful the reviews were, it gave me the inspiration to write. I've decided to give you guys the next chapter tonight instead of tomorrow. I know a lot of people wished death on me and threatened my life from the way the last chapter ended with Stacy, so in fear of my life, I've made it work out okay :D**

**Oh, if you folks like cruises, drama, and Huddy smut wrapped up together in a neat little package, you're going to like my new story Royal Caribbean. Check it out if you can :D**

**One more thing before we start, I would like to thank anonymous reviewer grimtea for sniffing out a plagiarist that was stealing my work. I mean, the nerve! I'm honored people would like my stuff that much to take it, but come on, write your own stuff! I'm sure your writing is just as good!**

**Enjoy :)**

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"Do you have any idea how much trouble I'm going to be in if Cuddy wakes up? Her trust in me is going to fly right out the window. What is so important that you had to drag me out in the middle of the night? What's the big crisis?"

When Stacy called him earlier, she said that Cuddy's case was in jeopardy and they should meet about it, only Cuddy wasn't to know about it for her own safety. Since House didn't want something to happen to Cuddy, he did as she said and didn't mention it to her. It was something that they should discuss together without Cuddy. House still didn't know what that something was, but the urgency in Stacy's voice when she told him, she didn't sound like she was kidding around. She is their lawyer, so she would be going through their files and getting to know more about the case. Since Cuddy's case is a bit more complicated than his, he didn't think twice that there could be something wrong.

"She's not going to be able to get her job back, Greg," Stacy said, sounding hugely sympathetic. "Zachary Feeney's lawyer contacted me. The papers are legit and he has every right to the title of Dean of Medicine."

"How is that possible?" House felt the bottom of his stomach fall out.

"I did some looking into it. He took over the position when Lisa was missing. When she was declared legally dead, he signed contracts, legal binding documents, that he has every right to keep that job, no matter the circumstances. It can't be undone unless he quit or was fired. In that case, Lisa could reapply to get the job."

"There's not even a fighting chance? Not even, oh, let's see, the fact that she's NOT dead?!" He raised his voice a notch.

"I'm sorry, Greg. And to top it off, her will, does in fact say that in the unlikely event of her death, her assets go to the next of kin, making her sister the rightful owner of her house, car, finances, possessions, everything."

House felt nauseous. He had to close his eyes to stop the sudden head rush he felt come on. "It's impossible. Sam Bernstein typed up and forged that will! Cuddy didn't have one that was made legal!"

There's no way that three months ago Cuddy had everything, and now she had nothing. It bothered House to the point where he felt his body temperature rise with anger and fear for Cuddy.

"I'm sorry, Greg. I'm just telling you what I found."

"Telling me…" he whispered, lolling his head back into the headrest of the seat. "Why the hell _are_ you telling me? Couldn't you have just told me this on the phone? Why take me out in the middle of the night just to drive around?" He looked over at her, but only saw her slightly, due to the lack of streetlamps down this particular street.

Stacy didn't speak right away.

"Or maybe come to her home and tell her instead of me?" he added. "She has a right to know if she's about to lose everything."

Stacy was still mute.

"Stacy, what is this? What aren't you telling me?"

Stacy kept her eyes ahead of her, not even so much as glancing over to House, letting him to believe there was more at hand here with Cuddy that she wasn't passing on to him. "What's wrong with Cuddy?"

"She's losing everything, Greg, and you actually care," she said quietly.

If Stacy didn't see his frown, she'd hear it in his voice. "Of course I care," he said, acting as if that was the dumbest thing she could ever say. "I love her."

"You love her, even though she has nothing left?" Stacy's tone was still quiet. He couldn't see her very well in the dark, but was told all he needed by the tone of her voice.

Where was she going with this? House was very confused. He didn't fall in love with her solely because of the possessions she kept.

He turned the little map light on overhead so he could see her better. Her eyes were misty, but not enough to make tears, although that was probably in the works.

"What's going on? Did you take me out here just to quiz me on my feelings for Cuddy and wanting to see the look on my face once you told me that she lost everything? Is it some sort of cheap thrill for you?"

"Lisa has nothing left, Greg. She may as well be dead. She doesn't have a penny to her name and no home or job to speak of."

House felt a funny taste form at the back of his throat. "We can get around that."

"Why would you even try?" Stacy sounded as if she were begging him to say otherwise. "You don't even care about her. You never did. Even in college you told me she made you miserable."

"People change."

"People don't change, Greg, you said so yourself. I've lived with you for five years, I know what to expect. You don't love her and you could care less what happens to her."

House gripped his sweatpants and clutched a fistful in his hands so hard it made his knuckles turn white. "Who are you to tell me how I feel?" he asked, voice dangerously low. "As if it's any of your business, Lisa means the world to me with or without material possessions."

"You could never make her happy. She couldn't ever make you happy."

"She's already made me happy just by being her. Why are you testing me? Are you concerned for Cuddy or jealous that I'm with her and not you?"

Stacy noticeably gripped the steering wheel tighter at ten and two.

"That's it, isn't it?"

"Lisa will never love you like I do. Greg, I want us to try again."

"You got your answer last time."

"I should've fought harder. You didn't want to be with me because you were afraid I wouldn't be happy with you. You said you couldn't make me happy. That's not true, Greg. I love you. I always have."

"If you loved me so much, you never would've left me in the first place."

Stacy paused to brush a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry I did that. I am."

"I'm not."

Their eyes met, but briefly, for she couldn't keep her eyes off the road for long. An uncomfortable pause filled the car. House sighed deeply before speaking.

"There's nothing wrong with Lisa, is there? You just wanted to try to get a rise out of me by telling me she has nothing left, because if she has nothing, I won't want to be with her and fall back into your arms, right?"

Stacy said nothing.

"Actually, she having nothing would bring us closer. She'd rebuild her life while having someone to lean on in the process. I don't know what that island did to me, or if it was the typhoid fever, I don't know, but if I wasn't so damn tenacious in college, she would've been my wife by now with three kids. So either way, you're turning this car back around and I'm going home. This was a very stupid way to try to get me into bed with you."

"I wasn't trying to bed you, Greg. And no, Lisa's case is promising. Sam forged the will with a fake date, postmarking it made over five years ago. Lisa's got a good, solid case."

A huge wave of relief washed over House. That was the best thing she could ever tell him. He sighed. "Good. Now if you can get me back there without her knowing I was gone, that's going to be even better. You did that on purpose, didn't you? If I didn't believe you making things up about the case, at least I'd risk the chance in her seeing me come home and when she questions me, and I say I was with you, she'll leave me."

Stacy shook her head. Another tear fell from her eye. "I could never fool you, could I?"

Stacy knew she was beaten. She turned the car around and headed back to Cuddy's.

"I didn't know you loved her so much. I was wrong."

"Yes you knew, that's why you snuck around behind her back like this. There's a small part of you that hopes the lights are on when you drop me off and she'll be waiting there for an explanation."

"Really, Greg, I'm happy for you. I didn't know how concrete your relationship was. After this case is over, you'll never hear from me again."

They were silent the rest of the way back to Cuddy's.

Much to House's relief, the place was still dark when they came back twenty minutes later. That relaxed him a bit. He sighed heavily. "So Cuddy's in the clear? You think she'll be able to get her job back, as well as her home?"

Stacy nodded. "I'm hopeful. I'll do everything I can." She reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye, Greg."

"Goodbye, Stacy."

As soon as he was out of the car and limping up the sidewalk, Stacy left. It was dark out and there was barely enough streetlight to help him. All he saw were silhouettes of the things in front of him.

He found the door okay and let himself in. The place was quiet. He hoped she was still sleeping. If not, there would be a shouting match in about .5 seconds.

He crept through the silent house, knowing his way through the dark. A small lamp on the table helped him until he turned the corner, heading down the hallway to their bedroom. Cuddy always had a small touch lamp set to the lowest light inside her bedroom so they could see if they had to get up in the middle of the night. It was lit when he walked into the room, quiet as a mouse.

Cuddy wasn't there. His heart stopped. Where was she? Instead of calling her name out, he turned the light on and peeked into the adjoining bathroom. She wasn't there either. He did know one thing though—wherever she was, she knew that he left the house and probably knew with whom.

House tried the kitchen next. He bit his lower lip. Cuddy was sitting at the kitchen table in the dark. He saw her outline. There had never been a scarier moment than this one. There was no telling what was going through Cuddy's mind. He was an idiot to go out with Stacy, but when Stacy said that it was urgent involving Cuddy, he couldn't help but go. It was a dumb idea, but he did it for Cuddy. Would she ever believe him?

"Cuddy?" he asked in the smallest voice next to a whisper and flicked the light on.

Cuddy had her back turned towards him. She was hunched over the table, resting on her elbows, and had her hand over her face, crying softly.

He hesitantly approached her. She could feel him getting closer. Her body noticeably tensed.

"Please go away," she whispered, her back rising and falling with every sob.

"Lisa, it's not what you think, I swear it."

Typical response. It's always what comes out of the mouths of those whom are caught in a situation. Why should House saying it be any different?

"And I suppose the kiss she gave you was a friendly gesture."

House had to wonder how she saw that when it was so dark out. He then remembered the map light he put on to see Stacy. He never turned it off, not even when they got to the house. Cuddy must've been looking out the kitchen window when she heard a car pull up. Dammit!

"It's not…what it looked like…please…"

"Stop saying that!" she cried suddenly. She stood up so fast that the chair almost tipped over. She was angry and emotional at the same time, two feelings that never do very good together. Her once blue vibrant orbs were now cold, grey, and waterlogged. "I know what I saw and you have no idea how much I'm hurting right now. I trusted you, you…bastard."

Cuddy brushed by him and went to the bedroom. He followed her, determined to try to talk his way out of this and for her to see that nothing happened.

"Cuddy, please, just hear me out. We didn't do anything! We were gone for twenty minutes. What the hell could we have done in twenty minutes?"

"That is so not the point, House." She spun to him, keeping her distance. "The point is that we have a relationship and you went off with an ex girlfriend in the middle of the night right after we slept together. Then I see you kissing her in her car. What the hell do you want me to think? Please tell me, because it appears I'm not getting it right. You waited for me to be asleep and then go off with her?" Cuddy's voice broke, due to her emotions kicking in at full swing. "Does what we have mean so little to you?"

"She said it was about your case. I believed her. She told me you will lose everything, even your home."

Cuddy's face contorted gently in fright and her watery eyes wide. "Am I really?"

"Turns out that it's not true, but she used that to lure me. She wanted to speak to me in private and didn't want me to tell you because she didn't want to upset you." House stepped towards her, closing the gap in between them. "I'm sorry, I never should've gone, but I was worried about you. Stacy kissed me, not the other way around. Please believe me." His tone was gentle and kind, which was so unlike House.

Whether it was too late, or she was tired, but Cuddy actually believed him. She leaned into his touch once he cupped her cheek. She knew Stacy would be up to no good if she took on their cases. She couldn't be mad at House. He's not the one who did wrong here. It was Stacy and her innocent appearing ploys she was angry with. She should've known that from the start instead of waking up, finding his spot empty, looking out the window just in time to see him get into a car with his ex, and assuming the worse. It was normal to feel betrayed and hurt, right? To wake up and find your newly acquired boyfriend getting into his ex's car. What Cuddy was feeling wasn't abnormal. She pushed herself to accept House's answer and his gentle touch across her skin. She kept telling herself that he did it for her and she would do the same thing for him if the situation came about.

"You're still in doubt," he said when she backed up her head as he tried to kiss her.

"I'm not in doubt. I believe you and I believe Stacy would try to ruin a good thing between us." She stepped back. "I'm just hurt you went with her when you should've talked to me about my issues, not her."

House opened his mouth to speak, but Cuddy raised up a hand to silence him. "I just want to go to sleep. Can I trust you to be here in the morning?"

House just nodded. He turned off the light as Cuddy slipped back into bed and then removed his jacket and pants. Cuddy made sure she was sleeping on her side, facing away from House, and laying furthest to the edge of the bed as she could.

As much as House wanted to pull her to him when he got situated, he figured it was best he left her alone for tonight. He didn't even so much as tell her good night and she had no problems with that.

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The next day, Cuddy flinched in Stacy's presence. If she cringed the day before when she came to the hospital, she was definitely cringing today from what happened last night.

To make matters worse, she and House weren't speaking. They were on okay terms, but neither hardly said a word. House knew she would be okay once Stacy left.

Today in court, they were there for approximately fifteen minutes respectively. House went up first with Stacy, she told the judge some speech on what happened, he signed about twenty extremely boring and long documents bringing him back to life, and then was able to receive a new driver's license and social security card. They were sent to the court for verification, otherwise they would've had to go to the hall to get the social security cards and the DMV to get their licenses. It saved them a trip. It was better this way.

And just like that, House was able to practice medicine again and return to work…once he had a job to return to, that is.

Cuddy was next. Since Stacy didn't have to say a speech this time, Cuddy got right to the paperwork. Stacy distracted her, making it impossible for her to focus on the papers and get through, reading them only once. She had to scan some pages twice because she felt Stacy glaring at her from five feet away.

Stacy also signed them when she was done. Cuddy was able to get her things and her medical license validated as well, but had to wait until Monday to see if she still had a job. She already fixed up her office and put her own name back on the door, but would she be able to return? House scared Feeney away and got Eric to resign, but did it matter? Could he still come back? Cuddy wanted nothing more than to head down there right now, don her lab coat, and go to work, getting her blood flowing again. She could also get House's department up and running again and try to bring back everyone that Feeney fired for no reason. She owed it to Wilson and Cameron as well.

At least going there would keep her busy for the weekend. Between phone calls to her employees and other miscellaneous things, it would take her the rest of today and all of tomorrow. The way she felt about being around House at the moment, it was welcoming to be buried in work.

Between this morning when they awoke, driving to the courthouse, driving back, and walking into Cuddy's home, no more than ten words were spoken between her and House. Stacy tried sparking up a conversation, but neither barely responded. During the drive back, nothing at all was said between anyone. Cuddy felt uncomfortable by the silence, as well as House. In a weird, twisted way, Stacy liked the silence. It told her that they were fighting, or fought, and felt sensitive towards one another. Now if only she could get him alone for five minutes…

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"Cuddy, will you say something?" House tried again to get her to talk when they got home. She entered her house and promptly removed her shoes and jacket, but walked away from him the moment she did, not glancing back.

She headed to the bedroom to grab the black purse and wallet one of her nurses gave her from the party. She had the wallet half-full already with other things and nearly completed it with her ID. Now she had to wait for her credit cards to arrive…

"Lisa!" came House's voice a little louder than expected, snapping her out of thought.

"What?!" she answered back, just as loud.

"Talk to me! Stop shutting me out! You were okay last night and ever since the sun came up, you act like you hate me!"

"Because I had time to think. I was half asleep last night."

"So now you don't trust me?" House sounded hurt.

Cuddy sighed, throwing the purse strap over her shoulder. "House, we're brand new. You did something stupid last night, whether something went on or not, it was stupid. I don't trust Stacy and I don't trust her with you. I'm going to the hospital to get you your department back and get my thoughts together."

Cuddy went to brush by him, but he grabbed her by her arm and sealed her body to his. She didn't have much time to think, for it happened way too fast. She barely had time to gasp properly. He kissed her, deeply and passionately. He didn't know what else to do. He felt her slipping away and since he was obviously unable to verbally communicate and say the right things, this is the only way he knew how.

Cuddy melted into the kiss. She didn't want to allow him to take such power over her, but she was losing control. It was so overwhelming that she just about lost sensation in her legs. If his arm wasn't supporting her lower back, she'd lose her footing and fall to the floor. House was the only one she had ever been with that could feed her such an intoxicating kiss. The sensation zipped all through her body, giving it a tingling awareness. Dizziness also consumed her, as well as stars behind her eyelids.

The kiss left them both gasping for air and Cuddy still a little dizzy. House only pulled back far enough to look into her eyes.

"I love you, Lisa Cuddy, with all my heart." He gently ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. He didn't dare blink or shift his eyes away from hers, even for a millisecond.

"Prove it," she challenged in a serious tone.

If she wasn't still drugged from the kiss, she would've ended up going to the hospital to involve herself in her work. Instead, House took her to bed for some make up sex to prove just how genuine his love was for her.

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**One more chapter to go and this time I promise! Tune in to see if Cuddy gets her job back, her home, and keeps Stacy away from House. It won't be easy. Angst, drama, sex, angry and jealous ex girlfriends, all that good stuff to come. Quite possibly a cheating House, too =O **

**Thanks for reading! ^^**


	34. Facade

**Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry but this isn't the last chapter. I got carried away again and if it was the last chapter, it would've been sooo long, well over 9,000 words and since that's way too long for a chapter, I've broken it up into two separate parts. Just look at it this way, there's more for you guys to read and love ^^ And as always, thanks for the feedback on the last chapter!!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy spent her entire Saturday at the hospital as she promised, making phone calls and getting their jobs back. The first person she called was Wilson. He would start Monday, along with Cameron, Foreman, Chase, House, and everyone else that Feeney fired. She didn't like to inform those who took their places that they could no longer work here. She was able to meet some of them and they were actually firm, disciplined workers. Cuddy even splurged and took on a few more oncology researchers while welcoming the others back. However, some of the people that Feeney hired, such as the new head of oncology, was a total idiot who shouldn't be allowed to have a master's degree in anything. She'd rather have ten House's running amok in the hospital rather than having to deal with just one of this guy.

After pulling some strings and making a few phone calls, things went back to normal, including the diagnostics department. By the end of Saturday, she was finally able to stop and breathe. And of course now that she was able to stop and breathe, thoughts started rushing into her head. Keeping busy stopped most of the bad thoughts, but now they poured through her mind like oil. She had to wonder if she would be able to keep her job, or would it go back to Feeney. Maybe the court will decide to give it to someone totally different, or make Cuddy reapply to get the job. Cuddy liked her boss, the chancellor of the hospital, very much, as did he to her. If he had any say in the matter, he would come forth and request that his hospital continue to be run by Lisa Cuddy. But sometimes, not even the owner of the hospital, would have a say in it. He came forth and hired Feeney, only because he thought Cuddy was dead. That soon became a quick mistake on his part.

Generally with management in any kind of business, they're either your friend, or they're your boss. They can never be both. The chancellor was both to Cuddy, even though he was also a firm boss who wanted things done right. He was a good friend as well. He wouldn't want to watch her suffer like this.

And then there was her family. Cuddy already transferred her savings and pension into another account once she was able to gain access to her accounts again so they couldn't get a hold of it. At least her funds would be okay for now. Her home and assets on the other hand, she wasn't sure what was going to happen with those. As much as she detested Stacy, she owed her greatly if she could prove her will was forged and get her her life back.

Cuddy rested her elbows on the surface of the desk and leaned in. It was hard to believe that the last time she was here, she was working on finishing up the proposal for the trip to Japan. She remembered it so vividly, as if it were yesterday. Who knew that once she donned her white button up collared shirt, grabbed her briefcase, turned the lights out, and locked the office door behind her, she wouldn't be returning for months. And once she did return, she would've found the atmosphere interrupted and changed.

Still, with everything awful and terrible that happened to her and was also currently happening to her, she had House. If the island event never took place, she wouldn't have ever seen House in this light.

She loved him. Every time she thought about him, her heart skipped a beat. That has never happened before. House may be an ass, but he was hers. And she was his. She didn't want it any other way.

She's always liked House a little, ever since college, but didn't ever think there would be a future for them.

An island sure can do funny things to someone's feelings.

But now that Stacy had come back, House was different. First, he was so nonchalant about her coming back, and then he goes off with her in the middle of the night. Cuddy was worried. The last time Stacy came back, they ended up in bed. Would that happen again? Should she be worried? House swore up and down it was over. Cuddy was still a bit sketchy, although with him being her boyfriend, she would trust him. It was so odd for him to even use that term. She didn't think it was part of his vocabulary. If he said it, it meant he was serious. He wouldn't play around with a word like that. His self-image wouldn't let him. He was too good for it.

The sun was just about set when she was finished for the day. The clinic closed two hours ago, so she was the only one left on the floor. The only sets of lights that were on were small wall lights around the border of the clinic, just enough to light her way.

As she left, locking her office behind her, she wondered what House was doing. He was supposed to go to his apartment today for the first time in almost three months and get things situated. Right now, his apartment was going to be used for their backup, in case she lost her house to her sister in court. House's mom kept the apartment in order, refusing to get rid of it. Unlike Cuddy, House had a will that stated that his belongings would go to his mom. House just rented the apartment, but Blythe had the say in what went on with it once her son was dead. She didn't want to say goodbye, so she kept paying the rent on his place in hopes he would come back. She's the kind of mother that Cuddy deserved. It would make more sense that way. She paid his rent, even though she went back to Lexington promptly after the funeral. Blythe didn't know about House's relationship with Cuddy, but if she did, she would be all for it, even though she thought that Cameron was the one House would be with.

Cuddy left the hospital with House on her mind, debating if she should pop in and visit him.

Sure, why not.

She hopped into her car and went to House's apartment with a smile on her face the entire time. She really did love him. It wasn't just because of their harrowing situation on the island that she felt this way. Angst and misery did not bring them together. She'd liked him for the past X amount of years, ever since she was in one of his classes. He was a jackass then, even more so than he is now, minus the infarction. Her friend and roommate, Janine, was going out with House at the time, so Cuddy ended up seeing a lot of House at their place. He was such an idiot that at first, Cuddy didn't want anything to do with him. He was a moron, regardless of how smart and intelligent he was. He was extremely egotistical, just like most of the guys she knew. House wasn't any different.

One night when Janine wasn't home yet and House came over, that's when he and Cuddy started talking. She still had no interest in him yet. It wasn't until the beer and wine came into play and the two relaxed on the couch that she ended up seeing him differently. He was a typical guy who wanted to get into her pants, or so she figured, and her flirting didn't help deter him much.

They didn't sleep together that day, but they did kiss. Cuddy blamed it on the wine. His kiss was exhilarating. Whether it was the beer he had or what, Greg House knew how to kiss. Janine was one lucky bitch.

Cuddy didn't love House after that, but she was starting to. She had her standards, but she let them go the very next night when Janine was over a friend's place and House came over. They shared her bed and then pretty much stopped talking after that. Janine and House broke up near his graduation and Cuddy never saw him again until she became Dean of Medicine. The feelings she had for him were put on the back burner, but never officially gone. She's always liked him a little, even if he was a handful. He was testing his limits, just like every child does.

Now, she not only loved him, but she was in love with him, which would probably just set her up for heartbreak and disappointment. House was still House. He hasn't changed. He may say he loves her and asked her to be his girlfriend, but a child doesn't know what that means. To him, they're just words with no meaning. Teenagers who claim to be in love really have no idea of the concept. She was worried that House might not either.

If that didn't make Cuddy's smile disappear, what she saw next would. Stacy's rental car was parked outside his apartment. A massive mix of feelings pulsed through her veins. She didn't know whether to feel angry, hurt, or betrayed. What were they doing in there?

She found her cell phone and called him. He answered promptly after the second ring.

"Hey, Cuddy," he greeted, not sounding suspicious or daunted.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked casually, as if she were still at the office and having no idea about Stacy being in the apartment.

"Nothing, just having dinner."

"You cooked?" Cuddy listened in carefully, maybe hoping to hear a whisper or a light chuckle coming from Stacy.

"It's pasta, anyone can cook that without screwing it up. Plus, it's the only thing I had in the cabinets that's perishable, besides the cans of Chef Boyardee."

"Do you want some company? I'm two seconds away from leaving the hospital."

"Oh, um…sure, come on over. I'll need a ride to get back to your place anyway."

Cuddy said she would be there in ten minutes and hung up. With the knowledge of her coming over, House would have to get rid of Stacy, and quickly. Cuddy got out of the car and walked into the foyer, hoping to hear maybe some hustling inside House's apartment, but heard nothing. Still, she was going to wait there until Stacy came out. In the meantime, Cuddy's heart felt constricted, like he was cheating on her. What would be his excuse for flouncing around with Stacy this time? This was the second time he went behind her back to be with Stacy. She didn't like it at all and if she had to play the jealous girlfriend card, she would. She owed Stacy, but that didn't mean she was going to pay her back with House. No way. There are certain boundaries you just don't cross.

About two minutes later, the door opened and House revealed himself. Like a deer caught in the headlights, his eyes widened and his face fell completely in shock. "Cuddy!" he screeched, not expecting to see her there.

Cuddy leaned on one side and folded her arms. "Don't you just love cell phones? They can always let you say you'd be in one place, but be somewhere totally different instead," she said sweetly.

Stacy appeared in the doorway next, jacket on and ready to leave. Cuddy's eyes went to her next.

"Going somewhere?" Cuddy asked, tone low and dangerous.

"Lisa, this isn't what you think," Stacy said, sticking up for them.

"Yeah, that's what they always say. House tried to sell me that line last time. It's not going to work this time." Cuddy felt her heartstrings being tugged at. If it weren't for her blood boiling, the pressure in her chest would be too much for her to stand there and fight back. She'd run back to her car and start weeping, calling herself an idiot for falling for a jerk like House.

"If you two want to be together, just tell me now," Cuddy said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'll leave quietly."

"We don't want to be together," Stacy said with a straight face. "We're just friends."

Cuddy looked to House next, fire burning in her eyes. "You went behind my back again after I specifically told you to stay away from her. You didn't even ask me!"

"Cuddy, I don't have to ask you to see friends."

"No, but exes you do! Particularly exes I have a problem with," she hissed, but then put her hands up in her own surrender. "You know what, I don't care. I have way too much going on right now to be babysitting you two. Do whatever the hell you want." She looked up at House with a hard glare before storming off. It took a lot for her to storm away from the two, especially because Stacy was still there. If they were just friends, then why was she in such a hurry to leave? Cuddy knew that they were eating together. Stacy wasn't ready to leave yet, but two minutes after the phone call ended, she was on her way out. That meant they were hiding something from her.

Cuddy went home. After she was finished fuming and wishing death upon Stacy, she started crying. Entering her home, she was in full-fledged tears, but not to the sobbing stage yet. She kicked off her shoes and set down her purse on the hall table. Her head was filled with different scenarios. She wanted to trust House but this was twice now that he saw Stacy behind her back. This is where the teenager comes into play. They don't know it's wrong, so they never bother to think twice, even if they were already called on it once and had it said to their face that it was wrong. He didn't understand relationships. She was a fool to think he would.

Cuddy went to her fridge and pulled out a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, planning to indulge on it as much as possible. Was she losing House as fast as she got him, or was it all in her mind? Ugh…this is why she doesn't date often. She's not really the jealous type, but she was the domineering type. Things had to go her way. She scares all her dates off because they just want a woman who isn't so bossy. Cuddy couldn't help it. It was practically her job to be the boss and sometimes she lets it come in between the sheets. But is she so wrong about wanting Stacy to stay away from House? As far as she knew, they were a couple. She didn't want to share him with her of all people. She'd rather share him with Cameron than Stacy.

Cuddy took the bottle of wine into the living room after popping the cork and took a drink before putting it into a glass. It was like a taste from the gods. It felt like pure liquid gold sliding down her throat and into her stomach.

She poured a glass and disappeared to get changed into something more comfortable. When she came back, she flopped down on the couch and took the wine into her hand.

"Cheating bastard," she whispered to the innocent liquid before chugging it down.

She repeated the process seven times, emptying the bottle completely. She brought the bottle up to her mouth and tried vainly to suck every droplet out, never realizing just how good it felt to have her pain being taken away by alcohol. If this was the case, she would've done it a long time ago. The further she pressed on, the more it burned, and the better it felt. It quickly became addicting.

Cuddy headed back to the fridge to see if there was another bottle. There wasn't. She cussed lightly to herself, but then remembered there was vodka in the liquor cabinet. Warm vodka would definitely burn going down and that's what she was after right now. She wanted it to burn and burn all her problems away with it.

----------------------

"I'm really sorry about Lisa, Greg," Stacy said as the two sat on his couch together. "I didn't mean for us to get caught."

"I knew it was going to happen," he said as she held his hand tighter. "We can't keep anything from her."

"So what are you going to do?"

"About what?"

"About Lisa. She saw us together. What are you going to tell her?"

House shrugged. "What can I tell her? She'll never believe me one way or the other."

"You have to tell her the truth."

He shook his head. "No, it's too soon. I want to get everything back in order before I put something else on the table."

"Telling her might relieve her suspicions, Greg. Lord knows what she's feeling right now."

"Yeah, and she'll be feeling twice as confused once I tell her what we've done. I don't know whether to feel guilty or…not."

Stacy gently ran her hand over his thigh. "Don't feel guilty. Lisa will come around, and when she does, things will be okay again."

House closed his eyes with a sigh. "How do I manage to screw everything up?"

----------------------

Cuddy's stomach hurt, but not to the point where she felt like vomiting. She was dizzy beyond belief and couldn't stand without staggering. But she felt better. Her blood felt like it was on fire, making her body hot, she could barely feel her limbs, and her eyeballs moved themselves when she closed her eyes, but yet, she felt good. The alcohol did its job.

Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier with each passing second. Still holding the bottle of almost finished vodka, she tipped over onto her side while still on the couch and fell asleep…or as the lightweight will come to learn later, passed out.

---------------------

Forty-five minutes later, Stacy dropped House off at Cuddy's.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me, Greg?" she asked, holding his hand.

House paused a moment, as if having second thoughts. "No. I have to sort things out with Cuddy before she makes up her mind about leaving me for good."

Stacy looked almost sad. "Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Stacy."

Stacy reached into her purse and pulled out a small, palm sized gift box with a bow and gave it to him. "Good luck. I'll see you Monday."

He reached over and pecked her on the cheek. "Thanks for your help."

Stacy just merely nodded and House got out of the car, putting the box in his pocket. He grabbed his cane and limped up Cuddy's sidewalk. He halted at the door, wondering if he should knock or not. He spent about ten seconds staring a green door, debating if he should knock or not. Instead, he just walked in. The door was unlocked.

The house was quiet. Did she go to bed?

"Cuddy?" he called out carefully, walking further into the house. He turned to the right and saw her laying sideways on the couch with her feet still on the floor. He hurried to her side.

"Oh Cuddy, what did you do?" he asked, taking the bottle of vodka out of her hand and putting it on the coffee table. He sat her up and promptly tried to wake her. All this over a big misunderstanding.

"Lisa." He tapped her cheek with his hand. She reeked of alcohol, making him recoil a bit. Figures the vodka would be Grey Goose, which always had a stronger effect on her, versus Absolut and 360.

She still didn't wake up. He hit her harder, but not too hard. The last thing he needed was for Cuddy to wear a fine red handprint across her face. "Lisa!"

Cuddy came to with a cry that sounded more like a groan and covered her face. "What the hell, House?"

"I think I should use that question on you," he said, snatching up the bottle of vodka. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get away from you," she groaned. "Stop yelling, my head hurts. Why are you here?"

"Because I live here," he spat.

She looked at him like he had two heads. "No you don't. I may be drunk, but I'm not that drunk. You have your own place. You don't live here."

"Well, I do now."

Cuddy tried to stand, but the room started spinning and it drove her back down again. She clutched her stomach. "Ugh…I'm going to throw up."

She forced herself to her feet and faltered as she clumsily found her way to the bathroom. House didn't follow her right away. He waited until she was done emptying her stomach of booze and resting with her head on the bowl, groaning.

"Feeling better now?" he asked from the doorway.

"Much. God, that was so stupid." She reached up and flushed the toilet, then used the bowl to help her stand.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault."

"Damn right it was," she said, turning on the sink and rinsing her mouth out to try to take away the booze taste.

"There's nothing going on between me and Stacy."

Cuddy rubbed her face. "House, not now. I don't even want to hear that woman's name, not even while my head is spinning and I'll forget it all tomorrow. I don't even want to see you right now."

"Cuddy—"

Cuddy shook her head and held her hand up, cutting him off. "No. I don't want to hear it. You were with her after I specifically told you I didn't like it. But I was a fool to think you'd listen to me. You're a child. Children don't listen. I think why I'm really disappointed is because I know you won't amount to anything in a relationship." Tears blurred her vision. "I had my hopes so high and I've disillusioned myself."

"Lisa, that's not true. I love you! If that wasn't the truth, do you think I would say it? You know me. Since when do I bullshit around and say things I don't mean?"

Cuddy brushed away a tear as fast as it fell. "I want to go to bed."

"You can't even answer that!" he said, louder than expected. "Because you know I'm right."

"I don't care!"

"Yes you do!" he shouted. "Maybe I don't live up to your standards because you set them so damn high! No wonder you never have relationships! No one can put up with your fucking perseverance!"

Him yelling at her just made her head throb harder and the tears come faster.

"House, please, I can't handle this right now."

"Oh, right, sure you can't handle it right now. You can dish the dessert, but clear the table before it's eaten. Everything's about you, isn't it, Cuddy? It always has been. What about making it about ME for once?!"

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh don't you dare, House. You're not the one who's about to face whether or not they're about to lose everything. I'm the one who had to go through hell and back to get my job back, as well as yours! I'm about to lose my home, my savings, my car, and if that's not getting through to you, what about my baby? What about my miscarriage? I lost something that meant more to me than jobs, money, homes, everything, and you're still an asshole!" Cuddy's voice started to break from the emotion she felt. "It's over, House! Get out of here and take your insensitive personality with you."

If Cuddy's voice didn't mean business, House would see the answer in her eyes. She was broken and in need of fixing. Her eyes were as sad as they were when she knew she miscarried and only a little bit of anger splashed in there. He knew she was right. She did have so many things going on and he shouldn't have snuck around like he did.

House was about to turn around and walk away from everything he knew and probably down a few bottles of vodka himself when his fingers brushed up against his bulging pocket. He remembered the box. He reached in and removed it. Cuddy watched him carefully. "Do you want to know why I was with Stacy today? She was helping me with this," he said and threw the box at her, but not hard. It hit her arm and fell to the ground. "Enjoy it." He gave her a cold stare and walked away.

Cuddy reached down and picked up the little blue box. She opened the top to reveal a red velvet jewelry case. She let the box fall to the ground and opened the case. Her mouth fell at what she saw. She slapped her hand over her mouth as a fresh batch of tears came.

It was a three stone engagement ring that sparkled under the florescent lighting.

**------------------**

**I swear on everything I hold dear that there is only one chapter left! :D**


	35. Right Here With You

**Phew, so this is it! Finally! Although I'm very much sad to see this come to a close. It's become like a best friend to me, too! Well hopefully there will be a sequel soon...if I have anything left to write about with this lol.**

**First, shoutouts. Special thanks to everyone who read this story and put up with my lack of updating!**

**Extra special thanks goes to aserene for reviewing every chapter from the start, followed by joraco14, tvandmusicfan, CJS-DEPPendent, i luv ewansmile, Hughlaurie4ever, and emzypemzy. You guys made my day! :D**

**And to dmarchl, ItsNevrLupus, remora24, xxClouds, musica12, lenasti16, dwgmommy, PDubou, Iluvia, HouseBroken, Limalicious, Jaded27, huddy-marie, JustHuddy, Soccerpersonz10, Allyson Rae, HughLaurieLover, Suds95, huddyaimee, Viktorija, G. Queen, smartxblonde, dearest penny lane, Nonna Minerva, LorelaiLuke, rachelhouse, Sweet Baby Shari, Sunshine and Puppies, Lil Sammy Spade, bianca. loves. house, Rugbygirrl, Skei-Fyr, Iane Casey, giddy-scribbler, CarlyBear025, cmwinner, houselover1, missaleatoire, noname267, misssunshine13, confusedsarcasm, immyownsuperman, Abbeyannmd, miss-lore, savinglives44, starkidtw, stevielicous, Love'N'SweetSauce, houseluva8, shion81, g. fox90, partypants12, Katheryn Mae Wilson MD, jaybe61, huddy1216, Pyewacket75, kitty-line, peacefrog, Josam, j0k3, ichbin, jatetiltheend, k-tap, limeorcoconut, glicine, Housianna, love0someone0shika, Menah, SusieQueue, Fieldsy, almostlikeTHElyn, addekforever, Generated Anomoly, LemonGrenades, Neelie2009, and all the anonymous reviewers, especially houselover1093, who flattered me so :) thanks so much for reviewing everyone! :D**

**Enjoy :)**

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Cuddy felt her hand that held the case start to shake. So that's what he was doing with Stacy? She was helping him pick out an engagement ring? Cuddy didn't know what to make of that, but that didn't stop her from dashing out of the bathroom to try to stop him before he walked out the door, and probably out of her life.

She still felt a little drunk and nearly stumbled when she tripped over the edge of the carpet runner, but didn't falter long. Her head pounded, her temples throbbed. Her heart felt heavy. All of this was a big misunderstanding and she was about to lose the love of her life because of it.

Luckily, a man with a limp can't walk very fast. He just put his cell phone away after making a call and had his hand on the doorknob when she made it to the foyer.

"House…I'm so sorry."

"That's all you can say?" he asked, voice low and hurt. He didn't bother to turn around to face her as he spoke. He couldn't see her face at the moment. Asking Cuddy to marry him is something that he's never come close to before, not even with Stacy. It was a huge step for him to even walk into a jewelry store and pick out the ring in the first place and for things to come about the way they did, it hurt. He moved aside a lot of doubts and uncertainties to get that far. He needed Stacy to help him. He couldn't do it alone. And now it was ruined. He wanted to propose to the only woman that ever made an impact on his life, who picked him up when he was down, who pushed him to keep going, showing him there was a reason for being. Stacy didn't even pale in comparison with Cuddy. She didn't even scratch the surface.

House knew he wasn't the relationship type, but he was willing to try it for Cuddy. There was an unknown feeling that swelled in his heart whenever he thought about her. He guessed that feeling was unconditional love and honor, something someone wouldn't think House was capable of.

"Please don't walk out of here." Cuddy's voice trembled, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop him if that was his choice. She already screwed it up in more ways than possible.

House sighed, still resting his hand on the doorknob.

"How was I supposed to know about what I saw? For god sakes, your ex was at your apartment and you lied to me. How was I supposed to take that?! I was hurt and felt betrayed."

"If you knew me at all, you know I'd never cheat on you."

Cuddy slapped both hands over her face and groaned. "I know, I know you wouldn't. It's her I didn't trust. I'm sorry…"

"It's a little late for that." House finally turned the doorknob and open the door. "I tried to talk you down in the bathroom and all I got was a slap to the face. They always say that the truth comes out when you're drunk." He finally gathered the courage to turn around and look at her grief stricken face. His heart felt a bit heavier. He wished he never did that. His mind would forever have a look displayed by Lisa Cuddy that not even on the island did he see. Her eyes were a puffy light grey that looked ten times worse than all the other times she's shed tears for one reason or the other. They were also somewhat bloodshot because of her vomiting up the alcohol. He noticed her trembling lower lip as well, signaling that more tears were about to fall if he walked out that door.

"I love you, Greg…" she whispered, almost inaudibly, "and that's the truth."

House didn't answer. He turned his head back around before he saw the next wave of tears fall down her face. She did have every right to be upset after seeing him sneaking around with his ex, but for her to take it as far as she did with the alcohol wasn't like her. This wasn't the Cuddy he knew, and frankly, he didn't want to get to know her.

If he walked out that door, he would crush her. He wasn't that much of a cold-hearted bastard to know that. But Cuddy had to understand that she wasn't the only one hurting. Even jerks like House have feelings. Ever since they got home, for one reason or another, they've been arguing. It was okay at first, because both of them went through a lot and came home to face more than what they've expected, especially Cuddy. It was normal for her to flip out and assume the worst. It's not easy when you think you're about to lose everything you've tried so hard to accomplish.

House tried to be there for her. He even wanted to make her his damn wife. Now, he wasn't sure. A part of him wished he never walked into that jewelry store and purchased the ring. It turned his stomach. Did he just get a foreshadowing of what was to come if he stayed with Cuddy? Was he better off alone, saving himself, and the woman he loves from future misery?

"I love you, too, Lisa, more than you know."

"But?" she pressed, shakily.

"I can't do this anymore. We should go back to the way things were before the island mishap. I was stupid to take it this far. I can't handle it."

His eyes grew misty when he heard Cuddy sob behind him. A moment later, he felt a pair of arms embrace him from the back and what felt like a head rest against his upper back. She didn't say anything. No words were needed. Their actions spoke for themselves. She begged him to stay.

House hated that Cuddy was crying because of him. Before all this, she was happy, at least to an extent. She wasn't wasting tears and time over him. House loved her so much that hearing her cry because of something that involved him was just too upsetting. He wanted to run, and run he shall.

"Stay with me," she whispered into his back. He could feel her hot breath through his t-shirt.

He didn't say anything. He felt her head shift on his back.

"House?"

"I can't. Goodbye, Cuddy."

At that moment, Wilson showed up. It was his ride out of there. Cuddy let go of him as he started walking away from her. As House walked towards Wilson's car, Cuddy's sobs echoed in his head and he could still feel her arms around his waist. Sometimes the best thing you could do for someone you love is to let them go. If that was the right thing to do, why did House's heart feel heavier and heavier the closer he got to Wilson's car?

"Fight with the wife?" Wilson joked, trying to lighten the mood. He saw all he needed to know about the situation based on Cuddy's body language and House calling to need a ride out of there.

"Shut up. Just drive. If you give me a lecture, I'm walking."

Wilson said nothing and drove him home.

Ten minutes later, they were at his apartment.

"You're an idiot," Wilson said, speaking the first words throughout the entire ride back. House spent his time staring out the window.

"I know. I shouldn't have taken it this far."

"No, I mean you're an idiot for taking it that far and then abandoning her."

"She doesn't need this."

"Do you love her?"

House looked over at his best friend with widened eyes, giving him a "duh" look. "Obviously."

"Then why don't you show it half the time."

"The reason I'm back home is because I love her." He lowered his head.

"Oh cut the crap. Screw your self-preservation attitude for once. You're not doing this for her; you're doing it for yourself. You're too afraid to be happy and because you're so miserable, it'll make Lisa miserable."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then prove it. Prove me wrong. Go back to her and put that ring on her finger. Show the world that there's more to Gregory House than a shell of emotionless feelings."

House swallowed hard, followed by the shake of his head. "I can't. I'll never change."

"It's not that you won't. You're afraid to. You love her so much, House, you always have. The fact that you're able to feel this love proves that you're not just a shell of hopelessness. No one is going to laugh at you or titter at you because you love Lisa. What are you so afraid of?"

"Hurting her." His eyes met Wilson's. "And I've already done that."

"House, you're hurting her just by being here right now. She's probably sobbing in her pillow, begging aloud for you to come back."

"She's better off without me."

Wilson sighed angrily. "Will you stop with that?!"

"She deserves someone who will take care of her!" he said, voice matching Wilson's.

"Then why buy the ring? Huh? Why want to take it to the next step if you're not going to go through with it?"

"She already saw the goddamned ring."

Wilson wasn't aware of that. His face contorted into shock. "Really? Wow."

"She caught Stacy here earlier and thought we were messing around. She confronted us, left in a rage, and went home to get drunk. Stacy dropped me off; I found Cuddy passed out on the couch. When she woke up, she started yelling at me, telling me how insensitive I was. She also used that shell comment. I got pissed, threw the box at her, and went to leave. That's when I called you."

Wilson was speechless for a moment. He didn't mention that aspect of the argument.

"I wanted to ask her to marry me, but not like this." His head leaned back into the headrest. "I don't even know why I took the ring out of my pocket in the first place."

Wilson sighed audibly. "House, listen, advice from one friend to the next—do not screw this up. You need to put this all behind you and start over. Back there is a beautiful, smart, sexy woman who would move mountains for you. And you know you'd do the same for her."

House nodded. "I know, but that's not the point here."

"Then what is the point?"

"The people I'm with end up getting hurt, starting back with my college sweetheart, Janine."

Wilson held up his hand. "I don't care about that. That's not the point. The point is—get over yourself and go back to Cuddy. Don't be afraid to love her."

"I'm not afraid to love her!"

"Then show me! Show her. Don't run every time you can't handle something."

"I'm not husband material."

"Why did you buy the ring then?"

"Because I'm an idiot." House opened the door and got out, thanking him for the ride.

"Call Cuddy," Wilson said, just before the door was shut.

----------------------

Night fell and Cuddy was still sitting on the couch and staring at the engagement ring. Not once did she set it down. It's been in her hands the entire time. He really was going to ask her to marry him. God…that's such a huge step for him. Did he really mean it? She figured that he asking her to marry him was like a four-year-old boy asking a four-year-old girl in the dramatic play center at preschool to marry them.

Cuddy hated herself so much for overreacting with the whole Stacy bit, but she kept telling herself that other people in her shoes that saw their boyfriend with their ex would feel the same way. She reacted no differently. The only reason she feels guilty is because of the reason House was with Stacy. For whatever explanation, she was helping him with a ring.

Feeling sober now, Cuddy was able to process this easier. She messed up. Big time.

She wanted to see him. She wanted to go to his apartment and apologize, maybe get on her knees if she had to. Wow, that's such a huge switch from the way things used to be. She would authorize his ridiculous procedures, but never did she think she would be getting on her knees to beg for his forgiveness. She never figured she'd love him as much as she does. Her heart never in her life tingled when she thought of someone, not even back as a teenager when all her friends were boy crazy and she got her first big crush. It wasn't until House that she knew who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

But now it was all messed up.

Cuddy decided to go to bed. There was nothing else for her to do tonight and the longer she stayed awake, the more she thought about. She didn't want to think anymore. She needed to sleep and hope that her dreams weren't flooded of this.

But Cuddy couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned for an hour, looking at the clock every now and then. It reached eleven when she got out of bed, sighing heavily. It was no good. She couldn't sleep. If she had House by her side, she'd be able to sleep without a problem. This was the first night they were separated in almost three months. One way or another, House was always at her side, providing her with warmth and comfort. Now the other side of the bed seemed so empty and cold.

She didn't want to be alone anymore. She wanted to be with House and half expected him to come back, or at least call her.

He didn't.

Cuddy stood up and clothed herself. If House wouldn't come to her, she would go to him. She grabbed her keys, her purse, and even the engagement ring that she had clutched in her hand all night, and left the house. The entire time, she debated if this was something she should be doing. He already made it clear he didn't want to be with her and that they should end this now. Cuddy wasn't settling for that answer. She wanted him back.

When she got to his apartment, the lights were on. Stepping out of the car and nervously walking up to the door, she could hear him playing the piano. It was so beautiful. When she hesitantly knocked on the door, the music stopped almost suddenly, but the door stayed shut. She didn't even hear him limping towards the door to open it.

She tried again. Finally, she heard him fiddle with the lock and open the door just far enough to peek out. Cuddy's breath was caught in her throat.

"What do you want?"

"You," she said simply.

The door was slammed in her face, but House didn't move. He stayed by the door.

"House, please, let me in. We should talk. I feel I have to explain myself so you won't be mad at me anymore." Cuddy resorted to blaming herself for this in order for herself to be heard.

"What part of "we're over" didn't you understand? I'm going to bed."

House never relocked the door. When he was heard scuffling away, Cuddy took it upon herself to open the door and step in. He was at the base of the hallway when he turned around and saw her.

Cuddy's breathing was a little heavier than expected, almost like she ran to get here. She was also somewhat angry, as well as emotional. Those two never went well together.

"Bastard, don't walk away from me," she hissed and stepped forward. She didn't like his answer and would rebut it for as long as she could. "I said I was sorry. What more do you want? You wouldn't just walk away from me like this if you loved me."

House shrugged. "Well then there's your answer. I must not love you anymore."

Cuddy suddenly felt gravity take its toll on her. Her body became too heavy to hold up. She had to lean on the back of the couch in order to keep her knees from buckling. Her tears became so productive that they spilt out of her eyes and dripped onto the back of the couch.

"I'm stick to my guns on this, Lisa. I don't like who I've become."

He walked away, leaving a sobbing Cuddy in the middle of his living room. She no longer held the back of the couch and allowed her body to fall to the ground. She sank to her knees, knowing exactly why he refused her, but she didn't want to take no for an answer. She couldn't. Her love for him was too great to back down now. It only made her want to try harder. She admitted that the alcohol consumption was terribly unlike her. She shouldn't have done that. Second, she should've trusted House. Damn her for being so jealous to the point where it fucked up everything!

Cuddy sat on the backs of her legs for several minutes before picking herself up. Her heart was aching so bad that it felt like it was splitting in two. House wasn't used to who he became, but what about Cuddy? It's not like she was used to it either! This was new terrain for the both of them. They had to work together. The only problem was that House was giving up too quickly when Cuddy wanted to fight for them. And there's no way she was done fighting yet.

She slipped her feet out of her shoes and took off her coat. Quietly, she crept down the hallway to House's bedroom. Peeking in, he was to one side of the bed, on his left side, appearing to be sleeping. Cuddy walked in and slid into the bed. The only reason she was doing this was that she knew he didn't mean what he said. House doesn't stay and fight. He runs from it. He always runs from things one way or another. Cuddy vowed that their relationship would not be one of the things. For the first time in her life, she was able to love someone as much as she loved House. She was too determined and this proved it.

She spooned him, nearly completely, wrapping her arm around his waist, and resting her head against his back. Suddenly, she felt sleepy.

"I wish you wouldn't do this," House said suddenly.

"I want to. I love you. And I know you love me, too. Please, House, don't run from me anymore. I know I did a terrible thing and if that's what caused this to happen, I'm so sorry. And I do want to marry you. I've never wanted anything more."

House felt sudden wetness at his back. His shirt was soaking up Cuddy's tears.

"And don't worry about what others think about you. You're human, House. You are allowed to feel love. No one's going to tease you for it."

"That's not the point," he said, a bit angrily, remembering a similar conversation with Wilson. "If you stay with me, you'll get hurt. Everyone gets hurt. You're crying now over me. Just wait until it gets worse than that."

"House, it doesn't matter. I'm in love with you. Whatever happens, I'll get over it quickly. Just knowing I'm with you in this bed at the moment is making me the happiest person alive, even though I have a feeling you're about to throw me out."

House sighed heavily and turned over onto his other side to face her. Thanks to the outside lighting and the hall light, Cuddy was able to see his face.

"I can't promise you anything. I can't guarantee that I'll be who you want me to be. There's always going to be a side to me that lashes out at your wardrobe and questions your ass."

Cuddy chuckled. It felt so good to laugh, even if it was small. "I don't care." She cupped his cheek.

"Sure, you say that now, but when the time comes, you'll reprimand me as always."

"You can say anything you want about my ass, as long as it's not in public, or at work."

"You drive a hard bargain," he said, also cupping her face.

He moved forward and kissed her softly on the mouth. Cuddy kissed back a little more urgently.

They were in for one hell of a night of passion, make up sex, and new discoveries.

-------------------------

Monday morning came too fast for them. Stacy met them at the courthouse. House didn't have to be there, but wanted to be there for Cuddy. Wearing the engagement ring on her finger, she pressed forward, hand in hand with House. Today was the day where Cuddy had everything, or she had nothing. House continued to tell her that if she walked back outside with nothing, at least they'd have each other. That helped her focus a lot more.

The Chancellor was also here. As Cuddy's boss, he was prepared to step up and say anything in his power that would help her get her job back. Even if she had to reapply, he would hire her on the spot. Feeney and Eric were there, but they didn't count on the Chancellor being there. Waves of relief struck her when she saw her boss by the door, dressed in a very expensive business suit and holding a briefcase.

"Chancellor McIntyre, what a surprise," she said, giving the tall, older man a brief hug.

"I promised you I'd be here," he said in his deep, business like tone. The thing with Chancellor McIntyre, he was a friend, as well as a boss, which is a quality no one possesses. You're either a boss, or you're a friend, not both. Chancellor McIntyre was both. It was unusual for a man of his stature to even know how to laugh. He was a very firm man and good at what he did. He was going to prove that to the court and kick Zachary Feeney to the curb.

Stacy was up at the front, along with a lawyer for Feeney, and Sam Bernstein, who was representing Ellie, Walter, and Karen. Cuddy suddenly got cold feet when she saw everyone. There was a camera crew in there, along with the press, and even people Cuddy had never seen in her life. However, many of her hospital staff was there for support and that was good. More people liked her than she realized.

"I can't do this, House," she whispered, holding his hand tighter.

Suddenly, she felt like an ant in the biggest room in the world. Everything was so big and scary, worse than if she was looking through the eyes of a child in a large room.

"Yes you can. Just let Stacy do the talking for you, okay?"

Cuddy swallowed hard and nodded. Finding it hard to walk in heels, she walked through the double waist high doors that lead to the front of the room and joined Stacy at the table while House sat behind Cuddy.

Stacy and Cuddy resolved their differences, at least enough to make this a successful court case.

"Just don't look at them," Stacy said when Cuddy's family looked over at her from the other table, snickering at her.

"Please tell me you're going to get me out of this." Cuddy hated to say it, but right now she needed Stacy more than ever.

"Of course I am. That was my intention from the start, even if it didn't appear that way."

Stacy would've went on, but the Judge came out. Cuddy had butterflies in her stomach. Stacy was a good lawyer, but Sam might be better. There was a good chance she'd walk out of there with nothing.

Judge Hayes took his seat and so did everyone else that stood when he came through the door. Judge Hayes explained to the court that this would be tape recorded, video recorded, and photographed. Why it needed that much publicity, Cuddy had no idea, but hated it how the cameras were always on her. It made her feel even more uneasy than she already was.

First up, they started with her job, most in which the Chancellor was able to help out more than expected. He took the stand, stated his name, profession, and title at Princeton Plainsboro. He had Cuddy's performance reviews with him, every one of them from the past seven years she's been Dean. There was not a slight foul word said about her in all those years. He ranted and raved about her, but that's not all it would take. There were still legal matters at hand. The Chancellor, on his own free will, "terminated" Cuddy when she was presumed dead, so had to hire someone in place of her. Feeney had every right to that job, and just when Cuddy felt the tears come to her eyes after hearing that unless Feeney quit willingly, or the Chancellor had a reason to fire him, she wouldn't be getting her job back today.

However, the Chancellor wasn't finished. He had proof that Feeney neglected his job, fired people for no reason, and even went as far as telling the court about unnecessary outside phone calls. He mentioned that Cuddy came in the day after he "up and left," neglecting his job, and that she got his paperwork done for him. He had every reason to fire him…so he did, right then and there. Feeney's lawyer and Eric were outraged and reached for any possible excuse to daunt the Judge's decision, such as mentioning House and how he was a menace to the hospital. But there was nothing they could do. Feeney threatened the Chancellor that he would not see the end of this. They left after that, hopefully never to be seen again.

Cuddy had her job back. Now she had to wonder if she would be getting her possessions back. This is where Stacy came into play. She spoke to the Judge, as well as the rest of the court, describing the matter at hand. She also had proof with her that the will on file was forged and dated just last month when Cuddy and House were on the island. If Cuddy filed the will herself ten years ago, as the will was dated, the ink and watermarks would be different. Ten years ago, they didn't have watermarks and used a very thin tan with special threading. The will that Sam showed the court wasn't threaded properly and had watermarks with a seal of approval. Despite the signature perfectly matching Cuddy's, the date on it was false, making the will null and void, just like that. Sam had entered the will into the system himself a month ago, not even bothering to check about the threads and security seals. He figured Cuddy would never return and they wouldn't be going through with this. He'd be the lawyer representing Ellie, Walter, and Karen, so he'd file the will and grant them the requests that were on it, and then the will would be stored in a folder for eternity, never to be looked at again. Now, everyone had to look at it, even the judge, who saw what Stacy did.

Just like that, the Judge tore the will in two, convicted Sam of fraud, and Cuddy had everything back. Not only did she have her job back, but she had her home, her savings, her assets, and her car without further question. The Cuddy's were forced to give back all they took from the home. Once they did, they would be sent to prison for a long time. Not as long as Sam, however. This was quite a shock to everyone that it made it this far and suddenly the video cameras were thrust into Sam's face, along with every picture camera in the building. He was done for and for the first time since seeing her mother's face in her living room window upon arriving home from Hawaii, the weight was completely lifted off her shoulders.

It didn't take long at all. They were only in there for an hour. There would be more to the case if the will wasn't the first thing mentioned and they had to go through more evidence in why this whole thing was false.

While the press flocked to Sam and the Cuddy's, Cuddy was busy wrapped up in House's arms, crying tears of joy on his shoulder. Stacy joined in on the hug, congratulating them.

"Lisa."

Cuddy picked her head up from House's shoulder to see Karen standing there in front of her with tears in her eyes, although she tried to remain brave. She held out her hand to reveal the Le Vian 18k gold ruby and diamond ring, along with the matching bracelet that her grandma gave her before she died.

Cuddy thanked her and took back her precious possessions. Karen apologized and was taken back to her family to be handcuffed along with them. Cuddy suddenly felt bad for her sister. This whole mess probably wasn't even her idea. She had to go along with it because her husband wanted to.

Karen never looked back. She went gracefully, along with her parents. They knew they had lost and there's nothing they could do about it.

Cuddy spent the next fifteen minutes getting hugs from her staff and being told by them to show up tomorrow at eight sharp. Cuddy told them she promised she would.

Afterwards, she and House left the courthouse, hand in hand, each smiling ear to ear.

Lisa Cuddy had it all.


End file.
